Locked Hearts
by Xiaolink Volumen
Summary: When a girl opens her heart to darkness, she opens it to someone else as well... R and R, pleez. And now for a bonus chapter that sheds some light on it all!
1. Chapter 1

Hello! It's me, Fenrir! Of course, who else would it be… anyway! Voila! My first fic! Please don't flame it. I don't respond well to criticism.

I could almost blame this on my reading Frankenstein again. Go figure.

Pairings: AnsemxOC (Huzzah! Non-yaoi Ansem pairing! ) and a slight implied AnsemxKairi. Weird, I know. I think I implied it more here than in the entire fic.

And without further ado, I relinquish my gothic-horror inspired ficcy to you reader lot! Kanpai!

oo

_Extracted from the letters of Fenrir Hirano to her sister Daihime_

-Letter I, June 22-

Daihime,

You may be pleased to note that your somewhat eccentric sister has safely arrived on Agrabah. I write this perched on a ledge, my place of safety. I had unknowingly insulted one of the locals, and he drew a scimitar on me. I was forced to take flight.

But do not fret. The sudden appearance of my wings alarmed him, and I was able to make my getaway.

Aside from that, I have nothing to report, aside from the fact that we will be departing for Neverland on the morrow. I have not seen any sign of the duo we discussed before my departure, and I withhold no hope that I will. I am also disinclined to ask the locals, for fear of more swords. I have not observed any Heartless of late either, and again doubt I shall.

Still no sign of the Keyblade master or the king's men. My hopes of finding them grow dimmer with each passing day. The keyhole here was sealed, as the rumours said, and the vizier was nowhere to be found. The boy and the princess live quite happily in the palace, as near as I can tell

As much as I dislike Philocetes and he dislikes me, I still trust him to deliver this letter to you faithfully. As well he should, for I paid him enough! Give my regards to Sephiroth and Cerberus, and tell Cloud I still hate him.

4-6-4-9, Fenrir

-Letter II, June 29-

Daihime,

I am now safely ensconced in Neverland. Hook's ship has proven most comfortable, especially with Hook himself MIA. I visited the clock tower, and found the Keyhole sealed here as well. The Keyblade master has really done his job.

Regretfully, I saw no sign of the Heartless or the Antisora. I talked with the crew, and discovered that they had not crewed the ship at all! They insisted that these "Grotty little creatures" had handled everything. I presume these creatures to have been the Heartless. Again, no Keyblade master.

In a few days hence, we will be departing for the crown jewel of our research, Hollow Bastion. Many of my thoughts of late have been of this formidable fortress and the secrets that may dwell within.

As always, I hope this finds its way safely into your hands at the coliseum. Tell Sephiroth I must challenge him upon my return, and tell Cloud I wish him nothing but ill. Also, inform Cerberus he can stop pining for me, and I will return. Sometimes I think that dog favours me over Hades!

4-6-4-9, Fenrir

-Letter III, July 1-

Daihime,

How cruelly fate treats me! I have not found any of our targets, and the castle seems to be deserted. Even Maleficent wasn't found, dead or alive. The only living things are the rats and the Heartless. I managed to capture a small Shadow and dubbed it Hikage. I pet her now as I write.

Tomorrow, I will set off to explore the rest of the castle. I have not fully explored the area, and hope that whatever I find will help our research. I also hope that I will encounter our targets, though my hopes of this are low.

As usual, my regards to Sephiroth and Cerberus and hatred to Cloud. I expect I will see you soon, depending.

4-6-4-9, Fenrir

-Letter IV, July 3-

Daihime,

Fortune favours your hapless sister once more! Through my own klutziness, I stumbled upon Lokii Iotunheim, quite literally. I was examining the lift system on the outside of the castle, when I slipped and fell to the sewers below, landing on Lokii. She was rather angry.

She looks ever the same as when you met her, Raven hair, odd eyes, pale skin. But her eyes seem to see a different plane than the rest of the world. She always seems to have a mournful cast to her countenance, like she's lost a loved one. And I suppose she has, since the other target was nowhere to be seen. I often wonder what happened to her to make her look this way. I wish I could find out, but Lokii is very tight-lipped about herself.

You know the drill.

4-6-4-9, Fenrir

-Letter V, July 5-

Daihime,

It is storming now as I write this. The storms here are most violent.

I have talked with Lokii today. I questioned her about her past, but she continues tp refuse to respond. I changed tact, and questioned her instead about our other target. She gave me a shocked look. And appeared like she would love nothing more than to punch me. Then she spoke.

"Ansem is… was… too indescribable to be comprehended by human thought," she said. I reminded her that I am not human, but she still seemed loath to elaborate.

Perhaps tomorrow will yield better results.

4-6-4-9, Fenrir

-Letter VI, July 6-

Daihime,

It is likely you will receive this letter and its predecessor in quick succession, but I simply had to write.

Lokii has opened up at last, and will reveal her past to me! I will endeavor to record it as faithfully as possible. But now I must end, as I see her approaching.

4-6-4-9, Fenrir

A/N: "4-6-4-9" is a Japanese numerical pun. 4yo, 6ro, 4shi, 9ku. "Yoroshiku" means "until later". It can also mean "pleased to meet you".


	2. Chapter 2

Thus being the account of Lokii Iotunheim and how she became one with the darkness, as recorded by Fenrir Hirano

Holding the plates, I stared out the window. I had been in the act of emptying out the dishwasher, when a fluttering leaf had caught my eye. Those days, I had to be very careful not to get distracted, otherwise I might never get back to what I was doing.

I had lived on the Destiny Islands, an idyllic paradise of swaying palm trees and white sandy beaches. It remained separate from the corruption of the other worlds, untouched by the taint of industry.

I hated it.

Idyllic paradise? Try tiny prison. No one else saw it but me. Everyone seemed to have a veil over their eyes, blinding them to the island's evils. The island lure you in to their embrace with their alluring appearance. It doesn't take long before you succumb to the lifestyle of these boring little rocks.

All the inhabitants there were morons, devoid of any intelligent thought. I doubt that they've changed any. They lived for the moment and never thought about what tomorrow might bring. Most would envy that kind of life. I confess I did somewhat, but then I seemed the only one who saw with clarity. I constantly thought of what life might be like somewhere other than these tiny islands. Their way of life only worked because the islands were so dull. They were all like that.

Well, except Kairi.

Kairi was different. She seemed as one who had seen sights no one else had, and the only one besides me whose vision was lucid. Often I had found her sitting on the paopu tree, staring out at the horizon. To her, it seemed to hold some hidden meaning.

As I slowly began to complete my task, I thought of Ansem, wishing he would take me away.

Ansem…. I miss him terribly. I expect I always will.

He had filled my thoughts, ever since Kairi had mentioned him to me a few months previously. We had been sitting on the tree, Kairi doing her usual staring, and me with my own morbid, dark thoughts. Then she had spoken.

"I wonder what drew Riku away from these islands?" she had said.

"You're talking to the one who hates every particle of these islands," I muttered in reply.

"Sometimes I could see him sitting here, exactly the way we are," she continued, ignoring me. "He always acted so happy, but I could tell something was wrong. If Ansem hadn't shown up…." Then she stopped.

Ansem? The name had resonated in my mind, like the mournful toll of church bells.

"Who's Ansem?" I asked.

"No one but a fading nightmare, from which I feel I might never wake up," Kairi replied, turning away.

I pressured her to describe her.

"That is impossible," she replied. "No one can describe Ansem."

"Oh, get off your high horse," I snarled, my temper flaring. "You always come off so high and mighty, and maybe the others fall for it, but I don't. Explain. Now."

She sighed. "He always made me think of… angels. He had a beauty that almost made him look feminine, but called to mind the archangels nonetheless. Ansem had a charm that drew you to him, like a moth to a flame. But so many of those moths were burned." Kairi paused, as if the words hurt her. Then she continued. "His voice was deep, like the roar of ocean waves. He was cocky, and viewed everything with contempt." Again she fell silent.

I questioned her further, but might as well have interrogated the tree for all the answers I got. Frustrated, I got up and left.

After finishing my task, I went up to my room. I lay on my bed, listening to my music.

"Last night, I had a dream about you/ In this dream, I'm dancing right beside you/ And it looked like everyone was having fun/ That kind of feeling, I've waited so long…"

I closed my eyes and thought of Ansem. Again I wished he would come for me.

But what good are wishes?

I stared into the dark corners of my room, ardently desiring to merge with them, and thereby find Ansem. Gradually, I fell asleep.

"_Do you seek the darkness?"_

"_Which darkness?" _

"_Any darkness." _

"_Well, not the darkness of death, but yeah, I suppose I do."_

"_Interesting…"_

_The voice was deep and resonant, like the roar of ocean waves. Wait._

"_Who are you?"_

"_The seeker of darkness, An—" _

I woke up.

I stared at the ceiling, furious with myself. If I had waited but a moment longer to awaken… It had been Ansem, I was sure of it! No one else's voice was like that. Rich and comforting, like good hot chocolate, or perhaps a clean quilt, and deep like a bass drum.

"Ansem…" I whispered. "Please, come for me. I hate this cursed island life. I would travel through darkness, light, a hurricane, _anything_ just to be with you!"

"Oh really?"

The darkness in my room bound and gagged me and wrapped me in its unyielding embrace.

I awoke with my head swimming. I couldn't see my surroundings, other than deep darkness.

"Where am I?" I murmured to myself. I stood, and began to run. I felt as though I was running in place.

"You are in the world of darkness."

I recognized the voice, and nearly fainted. I froze.

"Ansem?" I called tentatively.

"Run this way. To your left."

I complied, and soon smacked into something hard.

"What we went hit?" I mumbled, feeling dazed.

"Me."

"Who's there? Why can't I see you?" I asked. It was like a light came on in front of me.

"I am here, and I am Ansem. Though doubtless you knew that, since I have been on your mind ninety percent of the time since that wench Kairi told you about me."

I stumbled backwards and fell hard on my ass. Here he was, the object of my daydreams! Real and seemingly solid before my eyes!

I looked him up and down. His skin was dark, but not very much so. His orange eyes seemed as twin ember, burning as they stared at me. His hair seemed a cascade of molten silver. Slowly, I moved forward.

"I must know… I… I have to confirm…" I mumbled absently. Ansem looked at me as I approached, simple curiosity in his eyes. Cautiously, I laid my hands on his chest. I could feel his muscles, real and solid and hard beneath my fingertips. "You're real… I'm not hallucinating, I'm not asleep, you're REAL!" I felt like jumping into the air and whooping. "You're real, you're real, you're real, real, real!"

Ansem looked down at me, mildly amused. Then he clasped my hands. For a moment, fear coursed through me. I thought I had gone too far. But he merely brought my hands to his mouth. My eyes widened, and my breath seemed to catch in my throat as he pulled me closer.

"A mere touch, and I can sense what's in your heart… it is like an open book to me," he murmured softly. His orange eyes stared into my own. "Such curious eyes… one blue and cold as ice, and the other a dark, muddy brown…"

I did not respond, mainly because I was unable to. My fantasy for months on end, my daydream, my Prince Charming come to take me away, and he was there in front of me holding me as close as if we were lovers!

"An-Ansem…" I managed to croak, "Wha… wha…"

"Do you wish to join me?" he whispered. "Be with me forever and a day? I know you cannot live without me, and I confess that I feel much the same! Do not deny either of us that which we so fervently desire!"

Dumbly, I nodded. _If this is a dream, may I never wake up! Oh god, may it never end!_

I watched, mesmerized, as he released my hands and plunged his hand into my breast. As he withdrew his hand, I saw that he held my heart. Almost instantly, my eyes misted over. I felt a numbness overtake my limbs.

"Fight it, Lokii! You must!" I heard Ansem say. "If not…"

But this feels so nice, I wanted to say. But I could not. My tongue seemed furred to the roof of my mouth.

Ansem began to look worried. "Oh no…" The darkness on the edges of my vision deepened, and began to spread. "No… I won't let you die!" I heard Ansem say. His voice seemed faint, as if from a great distance. I felt him encircle his arms about me, and I felt his hard chest through my thin shirt.

Something in my mind clicked. I knew I would survive if I put my arms around him. My arms felt as though they were weighted with lead, but I managed to wrap my arms around him. Immediately, I felt strength return to my limbs. I tightened my grasp, and heard Ansem sigh with relief. Once he was certain I was back from the brink, he started to release his hold.

"No," I whispered. "Don't stop." His grip tightened again.

"Sleep now," he murmured after some time.

My last thought before sleep claimed me was what Kairi would think of me in the arms of the man she seemed to loath.

A/N: Whoa! I didn't think I could write like that and not go mad! I guess that's what happens when I listen to Daft Punk closely followed by Beethoven while writing. Note to self: Never do that again.

The song from earlier was a Daft Punk, "Aerodynamic Love." And for some reason unbeknownst to me, that song makes me think of Ansem. No effing clue why, it just does. Are ya readin' this, K-chan? Nya-hahaha! See if you can get Thatz to read this, will ya?

Anyway. Well, that came out better than I'd thought. Good little Ansem-muse! (Pats chibi Ansem on the head)

So clickie the likkle review button, and don't flame me on the way out! 4-6-4-9, everybody!


	3. Chapter 3

It was a while before I regained consciousness. I awoke in an immense bed, sunlight streaming from several mullioned windows. Ansem stood in front of one of these. I almost sat up, but became aware that I lacked a shirt. I pulled the covers up higher. Ansem turned slightly.

"So you have awakened at last," he said, smiling. "To forestall the inevitable, I arrived only a few minutes ago, the Heartless undressed you, I didn't do anything, and some clothes for you are at the foot of the bed."

I hesitated to move. Ansem nodded, still smiling, and left the room, closing the door behind him. I reached out and grabbed the clothes.

They were much like the ones I had been wearing, except I noticed they were of a thicker material. As I pulled the shirt over my head, I noticed a curious scar where my heart had once been. It was shaped like a rose in full bloom, complete with thorny vines tracing away from it and presumably across my back.

I finished dressing, and tried to find Ansem. I soon ascertained that I was in an immense castle, filled with strange machinery. I passed many a strange creature, guessing them to be the Heartless. Soon I began to wonder if I would ever find Ansem.

Then, almost as I thought this, Ansem himself stepped out of a door.

"Ah, there you are, Lokii," he said. "I was about to come find you myself."

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Hollow Bastion," he replied. "My home. Come, walk with me."

I needed no second bidding. Together we wandered the halls of Hollow Bastion. Ansem showed me around the castle. I knew I would spend most of my time in the library, though the rising falls captivated me as well.

After a while, we returned to these falls. I managed to catch and tame a Heartless Ansem called a Wyvern. I named him Tsubasa, and Ansem and I sat side by side watching Tsubasa torture the local rats.

We watched for a while. Then a pained look crossed Ansem's face, and he began coughing violently.

"Ansem?" I cried. "What's wrong!"

Ansem didn't answer, but coughed harder. Blood spattered the stones. He doubled over.

"Ansem!"

I grabbed his shoulders and held him tightly. Slowly, the coughing subsided, though Ansem's shoulders continued to shake. I held him as he leaned on me.

"What was that all about?" I asked softly.

He wheezed as he replied. "Do you… know a boy… named Sora?"

"Goofy looking kid with big feet? Yeah. I hate his guts," I replied. Ansem grinned weakly.

"We fought… and he injured me… quite badly. I had to… take the lungs… of a Heartless… and essentially… rebuild myself… I thought… I wouldn't survive," he explained quietly. "The lungs… fail occasionally." He began coughing again, but it didn't last long.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked.

"You already… have... by giving me… your heart. It was… much worse… before," he replied.

I continued to hold him. We stayed at the falls until nightfall; we then decided to head back up to the castle. Tsubasa winged slowly overhead as I supported Ansem on the way to the castle.

"Where to?" I asked.

"To your room…. The one you… woke up in."

Slowly, we headed towards the room. Once we arrived, I carefully helped him onto the bed.

"Where will… you sleep?" Ansem asked.

"Right beside you," I replied. Ansem smiled feebly, and was asleep within moments. I cuddled up next to him, and I was soon asleep as well.

Why was that one so much shorter? Because I was tired and wanted to go to sleep when I wrote it.

4-6-4-9! Review!


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke the next morning alone. Ansem was nowhere to be seen. The moment he noticed I was awake, Tsubasa flew over to me and nuzzled my side. Absently, I stroked the top of his head. The door opened, and Ansem stuck his head in.

"Good, you're awake. I thought you'd never wake up," he said. He came in and shut the door behind him. "Come here, I want to see something."

I stood and walked over to him. Once I reached him, he seized my shoulders and began to pull my shirt down.

"What…! What are you doing!" I cried, twisting around.

"I told you, I want to see something," Ansem replied. I continued fighting him, but to no avail. He managed to tear down part of my shirt, exposing my rose shaped scar. "Of course," he breathed. He released me.

I backed away rapidly, holding up the torn part of my shirt. I glared daggers at him. I could not remember ever feeling that mad at anyone before. Irritably, my eyes still on Ansem, I somehow tied the shreds together.

"I'm sorry, but I had to," Ansem said, sounding like he meant it.

"You could have asked!" I snapped, feeling my temper rising. "You could have asked if that was there, you… you…" I fell silent, still glowering.

He looked hurt. He moved forward and embraced me. I stiffened, but relaxed when I realized her wasn't going to do anything else.

"I am sorry, truly," he whispered. "I suppose I should have asked, but…." I heard him sigh. "You know, you are dreadfully pretty when you're angry."

I tried not to sigh, and returned the embrace. "It's okay," I replied. Then I grinned. "And you're dreadfully cute when you look all hurt like that," I murmured. We stood together for some time.

Then Ansem pulled away. "You really should change your shirt, you know," he said. "There should be some more in the closet." He indicated a large wardrobe in the corner. He turned and began teasing Tsubasa as I pulled a black shirt out and pulled it on. Not for the first time I wondered where the clothes had come from. Then I figured the Heartless had raided my closet and left it at that.

I went over and sat next to Ansem, watching Tsubasa chase the string Ansem had tied to his tail. Shortly, we heard a loud thump. Ansem went over to the door and pulled it open. Cautiously, the two of us peered out. However, we saw nothing.

"What was that?" I asked. "It sounded like it came from the entrance hall."

"I don't know. Lokii, you stay here," Ansem said, uncharacteristically grim. I protested, but Ansem won out. Tsubasa fluttered out of my room, and landed in front of me. Ansem set off carefully down the hallway.

I waited for what seemed hours. Then I cried out.

"I can't take this anymore!" I cried. "I'm going to go find him!" Tsubasa tried to stop me, but I shoved him aside. I headed down the hallway, and decided to take a shortcut through the library. I hesitated with my hand on the door. As I stood there, I felt a terrible thrill of foreboding. To make matters worse, a faint growling commenced from the other side.

Like a child expecting a malevolent spirit on the other side, I took a deep breath and flung the door wide. I gasped.

Ansem was unconscious, leaning against the fountain. A puddle of blood was forming under him, trickling from the back of his head.

A horde of Defender Heartless was clustered around him. Then a Heartless I'd never seen before approached me. It closely resembled a Shadow, but it was larger and somehow more impressive looking. It presented a black card with silver writing on it to me.

The Organization requests the presence of Lokii Iotunheim at the Castle Oblivion on the date of June first. We await word of your consent.

When I looked up, the Defenders and the strange Heartless were gone. Only Ansem remained. I raced over to him, fearing the worst.

Gently, I lifted his head. Blood had stained his silver hair a deep crimson.

"Ansem, wake up. Wake up, please," I pleaded. Ansem's burning eyes remained closed. I cradled his head in my arms. His pulse was growing weaker by the second; I could feel it. I knew he would die if I didn't do something soon. But I hadn't a clue. I was growing desperate. One of my tears fell on his face. As I thought I might lose him for good, I felt a throb from my scar. A warm green light enveloped Ansem. As it faded, I knew Ansem had been healed.

Slowly his eyes opened. He looked up, and saw me.

"Lokii…" he began. But whatever he meant to say, I never knew, for at that moment I kissed him on the mouth. After a second, he returned the kiss. We held it, neither of us wanting to break away.

Eventually, Ansem pulled away. "What were those Heartless doing?" he asked. Wordlessly, I showed him the card. "So the Organization is on the move again. Hmph. Will wonders never cease," he muttered after a moment. He returned the card to me.

"What should I do?" I asked.

Ansem shrugged, and stood. The effort made him cough, and he leaned on the wall for support. "Go to them, I suppose. Find out what they want."

I made no reply. Then, at length, I spoke.

"Isn't Castle Oblivion another world? How am I going to get there?" I asked. "Surely I'm not going alone."

"No, I'm going with you. And I know someone who can take us there," Ansem replied. He headed to the library.

"Who?" I asked.

"A pirate captain I encountered once, Sam Stryker." he shrugged. "I would have chosen Hook, but he irks me to no end, and Sam knows the area better."

Within a few days, I saw crimson sails on the surface of the falls. At first I hadn't been able to tell what they were, but I soon realized what they were. I called to Ansem, and indicated them.

"Oh, good. Sam's here," he said.

Not for the first time, I wondered exactly who Sam was. There wasn't much I knew about him, and there were no records of his exploits in the library. Beyond the fact that he was captain of the approaching ship, I knew nothing about him.

In a matter of minutes the ship had come to a rest a hundred yards away from where we stood. I looked up and noticed, with some surprise, the ship hovered via propellers on the underside.

Ansem noted my shock. "Ah, the propellers. Yes, Sam's quite proud of those. Had them outfitted based on some movie."

Further conversation was cut short as a curious craft hovered towards us. It looked like the boats we used on the Destiny Islands, but it possessed dragonfly-like wings along the side. These moved at a high velocity as it sped towards us.

The pilot was female, which was mildly surprising. I paid no heed, though, and the two of us clambered into the craft. As we moved towards the ship, I saw the words _Bloody Revenge_ painted in black and outlined in gold on the side. An intricately carved figurehead of a dragon reared up at the bow.

The sailor led us to a cabin, knocked twice, and entered.

"Ansem and guest to see you, Cap'n," she said. Ansem headed in, and I followed.

A high-backed chair facing the window sat behind a dark brown desk. A seemingly high voice, around an alto range, echoed from the front.

"So, Ansem. What do you want of this humble pirate?"

"Your help," Ansem replied. "We need to get to Castle Oblivion, quickly."

A plumed hat appeared near the top of the chair, as the occupant presumably stood. And then I got the first of many shocks from Sam.

Sam was a girl, younger than me. She was rather short, her head barely clearing the top of the chair. Her black hair was pulled back, and a red headscarf was slightly visible from underneath her hat. Her eyes appeared to be deep green.

"Who's she? Oh, I see," Sam said deviously, noticing me. Ansem twitched. "So you want to go to Castle Oblivion? That carries a heady price."

"What? You've never charged me before!" Ansem snarled.

"Times change," Sam said, idly examining her fingernails.

Ansem was growing angrier by the second. Sam grinned maliciously.

"I see I'm bugging you," she said. Ansem lunged forward, and fell over, coughing. I dashed to his side and tried to steady him. "You have a bit of a cough there, no?" Sam said. "Fine. I'll ferry you, but only out of whatever goodness is still left in my weasely black heart." Her eyes flashed. "One room, or two?"

Ansem, still coughing, glared daggers at her.

"Of course. Ansem the chaste. Well, put your lungs back in and go have the ship's surgeon Masamune take a look-see at you," Sam said carelessly. I helped Ansem up, and we headed towards Masamune.

"Right then. Off vith your shirt."

I tried not to stare as Ansem reluctantly pulled off his shirt. I'd like to think I succeeded, but somehow I doubt that.

Masamune was a silver-haired girl with pince-nez glasses, a strange accent, and a twitchy disposition. She seemed the same age as Sam. She yanked an object out of her pocket not unlike a jeweler's tool for examining gems. She removed her glasses, and stuck it into her eye like a monocle. She looked Ansem up and down. I could tell the scrutiny was making him uncomfortable.

"Vat in the name of…? Did you use Shadow lungs?" Masamune snapped. "Dummkopf." She stuck the object into her pocket. She stood back and looked Ansem up and down. "For your build… I vould haf used… Defender or Neoshadow." She shrugged. "But vatever. If you can breath vithout hacking up your lungs, fine."

She proceeded to mutter incessantly. I caught "Never in all mein days!" and "I haf never seen such stupidity!"

Ansem pulled his shirt back on, and we gratefully left. Masamune made us both nervous.

"Rather blunt around here, aren't they?"

A/N: Ja, time to give credit where credit is due. Sam isn't mine. She belongs to Masamune Sylverwulf of The Otaku Duo, also here on She let me use Sam on the condition that she got to be the ship's surgeon and get a German accent. (Laughs)

Danke to my reviewers, of which there was only one at the time I wrote this! (Sighs) I applaud thee, lone brave soul!


	5. Chapter 5

Yay! Reviews! So many…. I know six isn't much compared to some, but oh well….

**Twizzie: **You have no idea what's going on? I don't usually myself. I don't think anyone really knows what's going on in my fics. I typically lose control after a few chapters. (Laughs) Well, hold on to your butt, cuz it's bound to get more confusing after chapter six. No rough draft for 'em! (Laughs evilly)

**Light Leaven666:** Yay! You're my first reviewer! Cookies for thee! And I will keep writing, don't worry! And as for the pairing… er… on second thought, nuf said.

**The Otaku Duo: **So you reviewed! So whatcha think of my foray into shojo? (Laughs) I do? Or are you talking about the sequel to PATP? Erm… I know I have a KH Calvin and Hobbes fic I'm writing, and a fic that may or may not be a sequel to this that's not a romance, and a fic where I kill Mickey and other KH characters I hate, and a fic I may not post, cuz it kinda weirds me out. I think that's all… .O;;

**RedCrow1120: **Did I spell that right? Ah, what's left to say here that I haven't already said in my reviews? Aside from "Yeah, that freaked me out. I reread Kairi's description of Ansem, thought it sounded odd, and thought 'Oh dear lord, what the hell did I just do!' " and "The romance is a little light until chapter seven or so. Muahahaha… wait. We're almost at seven! Eight! I meant eight!" The chapter numbers got moved around a bit when I posted this. The letter thing was originally the prologue, but ended up chapter one. Heh… I AM THE MASTER OF OOCNESS! FEAR ME! MUAHAHAHA! Ansem fangirls unite! We shall exceed the Sephiroth fangirls someday! Someday… (Sighs) There just aren't enough of us.

ooo

Several hours later, I lay awake in my cabin, listening to the sounds of the ship. I would be glad when we left the world, and I would stop hearing the rising falls. The propellers, I discovered, where whisper-quiet, and I barely heard them at all.

Sleep evaded me. I tossed and turned, but nothing could make me drop off into sleep. Then I realized the dilemma.

I was lonely.

I have always disliked being alone. Although I was loath to admit it to myself, one of my main reasons for desiring to meet Ansem was that possibly I would have someone who would like me. My temper was (hell, it still is) unpredictable, and the others decided to label me as "Dangerous. Approach with caution or not at all." I had wanted to meet Ansem in the hopes that he would ignore this, and at the least befriend me. Even Kairi, who had put up with me, didn't seem to actually want to be my friend.

That decided, I figured out what to do.

I swung my legs out of bed, and headed over to Ansem's cabin. Quietly, I pushed open the door, and beheld him fast asleep. I crossed the room, and prodded him a few times.

"Ansem, wake up," I whispered. He rolled over.

"What is it?" he asked sleepily, stifling a yawn.

"I can't sleep. Move over."

"You know, Sam frowns on…"

"Who says we have to? I just wanna sleep."

Ansem shrugged. "You know, there's not much room here."

"I don't take up that much space. Come on, please?" I wheedled.

He shrugged again, and moved over. I cuddled up to his chest, and he put his arm around me. Soon we were both asleep.

"You know, if you had wanted one cabin, you could have said so."

"Cor, they look comfy, loike! Blimey, Cap'n, yew 'ad ter give 'em th' poshest cabin yew 'ad, dincha?"

I awoke to the sound of Sam's sarcastic voice and another with a thick, strange accent. Ansem and I were still curled up in each other's arms. I twisted my head around.

Sam was leaning against the doorframe, looking very nonchalant. An unfamiliar face was staring at us.

"Coo, don't yew tew look cute, loike!" the stranger cackled. I noticed her eyes had a peculiar yellow tint to them.

"This is Nensu, my first mate, and my highly obnoxious older sister," Sam said, carelessly brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.

"'Allo, guv'nah!" Nensu laughed.

By this time, Ansem had awakened as well. He peered at Nensu.

"Who're you?" he said.

"Sleep well, mate?" Nensu asked casually.

"Yes, I—wait a minute!"

Nensu doubled over laughing. She seemed to possess Sam's twisted sense of humour. "So easy to nail yew, innit?"

"Anyway," Sam cut in, Ansem looking livid, "I was just going to tell you that we'll be departing Hollow Bastion soon, so—"

"So iffen ye feel loight-headed, it's cos o' th' lack o' atmosphere!" Nensu interrupted.

Sam glanced at her. "Yes, I was getting to that. We will be entering an area thick with Heartless ships. There will be some risk," she said, moving farther into the room.

"The Heartless have ships?" I asked. Ansem sat up and stretched.

"Yes, but their tactics aren't very clever," he replied.

"Either a blind frontal assault, or they just sit there like lumps," came a gloomy voice from the vicinity of the door. Sam turned.

"Oh, hello Ryuko," she said. "Ryuko, battle technician."

A rather mournful-looking girl was standing in the doorway. Her eyes were purple, and her hair was long. Despite her gloomy appearance, her eyes were bright and cold.

"'Allo, Ryuko!" Nensu called.

"There is a very slight chance Hook will be in the area as well," Ryuko said. "If we do encounter him, it would be at our expense. Much as I loathe to admit it, we're weaker in an all-out fight."

Just then, a bell began ringing frantically. Ansem and I looked at each other.

"Oh corks!" Nensu cried.

"'Oh shit' is more like it!" Sam snarled, her hand flying to the rapier belted at her hip.

"Speak the devil's name, and he appears on your doorstop," Ryuko muttered grimly.

The five of us raced out on deck, and beheld another ship firing at us. Sam's crew ran hither and thither, desperately trying to retaliate.

"Oh shit," Sam muttered darkly. Then she was in the thick of the battle, shouting commands and trying to get everything under control. Swiftly, the pirates regained their composure, and began retaliating at last. I was impressed.

Sam's first broadside ripped an immense hole in the enemy ship. The next nearly took off the mast. The enemy ship launched chain shot at us, almost destroying the sails.

"Reef the sails, you morons!" Sam yelled angrily. Several lithe pirates raced up the mast and tied up the sails.

"Grapeshot!" Ryuko cried. The gunners quickly complied, and the miniscule cannonballs ripped more holes in the bottom of Hook's ship. The pirates launched chain shot of their own next. The lethal weapons spun through the air with an ominous whirring, and crashed through the opposing mast.

However, despite their best efforts, Hook's ship crashed alongside.

"Enemy on the port side! All hands to arms and prepare to repel boarders!" Sam yelled over the sounds of creaking timber. She raced back to us.

"Ansem, Lokii, I'd get myself hid if I was you," she said.

"Where?" Ansem asked.

"Not the powder magazine, obviously. And the cabins would be an equally poor choice as well."

They continued this debate while I watched the fighting.

"I want to stay," I said suddenly. Sam and Ansem looked at me. "I get the feeling slaying someone would be… something to enjoy." These words gave me a savage pleasure, and I could almost imagine what it would feel like. Sinking a sword into an opponent… then I thought, 'Hell, why a sword? Why not claws?' Almost as I thought this, my scar throbbed painfully. I fell to one knee, clutching at it.

"Lokii!" Ansem cried. I didn't reply, but gave a strangled sort of whimper as my scar blazed with pain. I felt his strong arms encircle me as he carried me into a nearby cabin.

"My…scar…" I gasped.

"Of course…" Ansem breathed. Once again he exposed the scar. "The mark of the rose. It's long been a symbol of deep darkness, but no one has been marked with it for centuries."

I gasped in pain. My scar had turned a deep black, and I felt a desire which I had never felt before:

The desire to kill.

An explosion sounded outside.

"Hurry!" Ansem cried. "Try and utilize the darkness within you."

I concentrated as best I could, and found a deep well of black power. I reached for it. The tips of my fingers seared with pain, and long shining claws sprang out. I stared at them incredulously.

Another explosion echoed across the ship.

"No time to lose!" Ansem yelled. The two of us raced outside.

The decks were in chaos. Pirates fought everywhere we turned, and explosions sounded left and right. Dead bodies littered the decks. The air was thick with gun smoke from countless pistols. Sam darted around, her bloodstained sword flashing as she ran through foe after foe.

Then Hook himself appeared. He looked like a bloody fop as far as I was concerned, especially with his wig and hat. I suspected that his mustache was fake; it so resembled a hairy caterpillar. He waded into the fray, and began hacking left and right at Sam's pirates.

Ansem and I joined the battle eagerly. A pirate menaced a scimitar at me, and I ran him through. I spun around and beheaded another.

Then I found myself face-to-face with Hook.

"Well, what do we have here?" he sneered. "Shiver me timbers, a maid such as you shouldn't be in a scrap like this."

My hand shot towards his face, but he deflected it with his sword. I growled, and began slashing at him.

"Back off, Hook, or I'll have your other hand," I snarled.

He grinned, and tried to slash my face with his hook. I dodged, and slashed his face. I tried to stab his heart, but he jumped back, and fell overboard. He surfaced, spitting and spluttering.

"Retreat!" he bellowed. His pirates raced over to their ship, some making a few halfhearted attempts at stabbing Sam's crew before joining their comrades. Sam's pirates whooped and cheered. Sam herself ran over to the railing and made a rude hand gesture at Hook.

"You'll never beat me, Hook!" she crowed. Somehow, I got the feeling this was her fight against him.

"I'll have your ship yet!" he yelled back as he sailed away. Ryuko ran up with a slingshot, and fired a musket ball at him. It struck his ass, and he jumped several feet. Sam's crew laughed and jeered at him.

Sam watched him go, grinning. Ansem approached me as my claws sank back into my hands. He put his arm around my shoulders.

"You have great power, Lokii," he whispered.

The pirates were still congratulating themselves as we sailed away from Hollow Bastion and headed for Castle Oblivion. Ansem and I watched. I was leaning against Ansem, exhausted, as we watched Masamune scurrying around muttering German swear words as she dealt with the wounded.

After a while, a pirate came running up to Sam and mumbled something in her ear.

"What!" Sam cried. She stuck two fingers in her mouth and blew a loud whistle. All the others froze and stared at her. "All hands on deck and prepare for emergency landing!" she commanded.

The pirates started rushing around, tying barrels down and reefing sails. Sam walked up to us.

"Might want to hold on. Several of the propellers were damaged, and we've been forced to land," she explained.

"Where'll we land, Cap'n?" yelled the steerswoman. Sam looked around and indicated a small, dark world.

"There!" she said. The steerswoman yanked the wheel hard, and the ship ponderously turned towards it, gaining speed as it went.

"What? We should be slowing down by now!" someone cried. Ansem and I grabbed a hold of the railing. "The landing gear must be damaged as well!" The world grew nearer at an alarming speed, as Ansem and I clasped hands.

"Brace yerselves!" Nensu yelled. The ship hit the ground with a crunch, and I was torn from Ansem. I blacked out.

A/N: Whoa! Keep it together, Fenrir! I'm losing control! Cap'n, we're losing control! I think we're gonna crash! Oh shit!

BTW, Nensu and Ryuko also belong to Masamune, but she said I could use them for free. Nensu has a Cockney accent.

I wanted the description of the battle and Lokii's duel with Hook to be longer, but I really lack the patience to describe those kinds of things. . ;;

Hold on to your butts, cuz it's gonna get even weirder and crazier from here!


	6. Chapter 6

Ladeeda… hmmhmmhmm… Rawr. I have returned, with more strangeness! XD

My dad was reading one of my reviews for this, don't ask me why, and he says, "This person went off, didn't they? Sure had a lot to say." So I says, "I don't care. It's a review." Then he goes, "What's OOC mean?" Hehehe… my dad was talking about one of the reviews from RedCrow1120. (Laughs) The really long one.

* * *

I awoke with a pounding headache and the feel of something gritty against my cheek. Slowly, I became aware of the sound of crashing waves. I sat up, and looked around. I was on the shore of a beach, at night. The sea was rough, and an immense full moon shone on the horizon. This I stared at. It seemed many times larger than it should have.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't back on the Destiny Islands. Then I wondered, 'So where the hell am I?' My next immediate thought was of Ansem.

"Ansem?" I called, cupping my hands about my mouth. "Where are you?"

"Over here!"

I headed towards the dunes. Ansem was standing on top of one, with his back to me, calling my name. I called his, and he turned. I bounded over the sand and leapt into his arms.

"You're alright," he whispered. I didn't say anything, just embraced him tighter. He had been tense, I could feel it.

"Where's Sam and the others?" I asked after a while.

"I don't know. I don't think the ship survived, but I'm almost certain Sam did," he said, nuzzling his face in my hair. I said nothing.

"Do you think we should go find her?" I asked.

"Probably. After all, we have no means of getting off this rock," Ansem replied. So we set off over the dunes.

Shortly we saw a flickering light on the shore. I perceived it to be a fire, a rather large one. As we drew nearer, I saw Sam's crew grouped forlornly around it. Sam herself was sitting a ways away. We made our way over to her. She was sitting with her knees drawn up under her chin, staring at the ocean.

"Hello, Sam," Ansem said cautiously.

"It's gone," she said.

"What?"

"My ship. The _Bloody Revenge._ It's gone."

Ansem and I looked at each other.

"It didn't survive the crash. Shattered when it hit the sand." She idly traced patterns in the sand with her fingertip. "We salvaged what we could. My crew is burning the rest. I and my crew of over a hundred are stranded. They relied on me, and I failed them."

"Do you know if the world's inhabited?" I asked.

Sam gave half a shrug. "Dunno. Too dark to look into that. I'll launch an expedition at first light." She fell silent.

Ansem and I, realizing she wasn't going to talk further, wandered off towards the dunes. We sat together on one overlooking the pirates.

"Now what?" I asked. "Sam's without a ship, so we're stuck here."

"I don't know." Ansem heaved a sigh, and put his arm around me. I leaned against his side. Gradually I fell asleep.

Later, I woke up. It was still dark. Ansem had also fallen asleep, and I was snuggled up to his side. He stirred, and woke as well. Seeing me awake, he twined his fingers in my hair.

"How long have we been asleep?" I asked.

"Hell if I know." He stood and stretched. The pirate's fire had burnt itself out, and dark shapes on the shore showed the sleeping pirates.

"I wonder when it'll be morning?" I said, half to myself.

Ansem looked around. "I recognize this place now," he said. "This is Eien no Yoru, the world of eternal night. Somehow, their sun was destroyed, throwing the planet into eternal night. The inhabitants left for other worlds, and Eien no Yoru was declared a dead world. No one lives here now."

I turned back towards the pirates. They were gone. Only the ashes of their fire remained.

"Where'd they go?" I said. Ansem turned and looked. His surprise mirrored my own. "It's like they just disappeared." A roaring noise filled my ears. I looked wildly around. Men on loud, four-wheeled vehicles began circling us. They all wore helmets with mirrored visors, pulled down so we couldn't see their faces. There was no way out. Or was there?

"Ansem," I said urgently. "Is there any way I can give myself wings, or fly, or something?"

"Yes, the same way as you did the claws. Why?" he replied.

I ignored him, and felt for the dark power. This time, I envisioned large, black dragon wings. With a horrible noise like tearing cloth, leathery wings tore out of my back. It hurt like hell, and I could feel blood running off of them.

I heard Ansem call my name. I wrapped my arms around him, and took to the skies, my wings beating hard. For a while, I struggled to gain altitude, then little by little I rose into the air. One of the men took a crossbow and leveled it at us. I shot off into the night, my wings flapping frantically. Even so, I felt the crossbow bolt nick my wing.

I flew as fast as I could. I could hear the men below us, their machines shattering the night's tranquility. The entire planet seemed to be made of nothing but sand, and I despaired of finding a place to hide. Then Ansem spotted a mountain range. I desperately flew towards it, uncomfortably aware that my wing strokes were getting more and more laboured.

Finally, I landed on the lip of an extinct volcano. Or rather, fell. My landing wasn't a landing so much as a fall. I dropped Ansem, who hastily got out of the way. I lay on the ground, exhausted. After a while, Ansem signaled me over to the inner edge.

"Look," he said, pointing into the crater. I got shakily to my feet and stumbled over to the edge. I peered in and gasped.

An entire city seemed to exist within the crater. The buildings were made of a shining white stone that I knew to be marble, or something similar. An immense dome rose from the middle of the city, and a tattered pennant waved from the top. The streets were lined with a rough-looking yellow stone, and empty stalls lined the streets. The entire northern section was composed of gardens and trees, some of which had tree houses in them, much like the giant one on Destiny Islands. Everything had a thick layer of volcanic ash on it.

"Surprised?" Ansem asked. I nodded, and he laughed. "After some of what I've seen, nothing surprises me anymore."

I looked around, and noticed a flight of stairs leading down into the city. I headed over to them, drawn to the city by its sheer size. I heard Ansem following, our feet scuffing in the soft ash that seemed a foot thick. The stairs were immensely long, and curved with the volcano. As we walked, I noticed large cracks in the earth, partially destroying part of the city. When we finally reached the bottom, I thought I heard music. I turned towards the nearest building, but the sound had stopped.

"Did you hear that?" I asked, my voice echoing strangely.

"Hear what?" Ansem said, looking around.

"That music," I said, feeling a growing sense of confusion. It started again. It sounded like someone was playing a mandolin, or some other stringed instrument. I raced towards the sound, leaving Ansem far behind. I stopped in front of a house, and pushed the door open.

A girl was sitting on a table, plucking at a mandolin. I stood watching her, and jumped when she looked up. She stared at me for a second or two, and then her face turned to bone, her clothes became ragged, and she faded away. I tried hard not to scream. Wishing fervently that I had a sword or a dagger or something, I slowly moved through the house. The house was only a few stories tall, and I soon found myself on the second floor.

A chill pervaded the area, and I found myself shivering from more than the chill as I approached a closed door. I laid my hand on the knob, and yanked it back. The knob was icy cold, so cold it burned. I pulled my sleeve over my hands, and grasped the knob again. The door opened soundlessly as I looked around.

Toys lined the walls. Under the ash, I could detect a few splashes of color on the walls. This had been a child's room. I advanced, and my foot struck something. I looked down. A diary. I picked it up, and brushed the ash away. I opened it, and read the last entry:

Dear diary, 

_We have to leave today. I don't want to go. But my parents say I have to. I like it here. They say I'll be just as happy in Traverse Town, but I doubt it. They won't let me bring my mandolin._

_I don't know why everyone is so concerned about the rumblings. They just seem like ordinary earthquakes to me. But that doesn't matter. We have to leave in just a few minutes. But I won't leave. I'll kill myself if I must, but I won't leave…_

I shuddered. Almost involuntarily, I looked towards the corner. I saw the gleam of a skull, and a skeletal hand. I approached slowly, and saw a child's skeleton. It clutched a mandolin tightly, and the head was tilted as though in pain. A thick layer of ash coated the bones, but I was still able to discern that the girl's clothes were the same as those I had seen on the specter below.

I stuffed my fist in my mouth so as not to scream. I reached out to touch the mandolin, but it crumbled under my fingers, as did the bones. I backed up, and dashed out of the house. I raced over to the next house, fearing the same, but this one was empty, as was the next, and the next. Then I ran over to the dome.

There were great rents in its surface, and pieces had fallen off entirely. I saw hundreds of strange lumps around a ship. I moved closer, and discovered these to be bodies, trapped forever in ash. I backed away, and whipped around. I ran through the streets until I came to the cracks in the earth. I stared at them, and the shining rocks surrounding them. Obsidian. I picked up a small chunk, erratically edged and razor-sharp. The people had not been driven away. They had been killed, by the very volcano in which they lived.

I darted to another house. I slammed into the door, and pushed it open. Several skeletons were grouped together around a table. For a moment, I saw what they had looked like while they were living, and the vision seemed to blow away, closely followed by the skeletons. I went to the next house, and saw the curled form of a dead cat, still in the lap of its owner. The owner's hands were poised as though they had been petting their beloved cat. The specters of these also hovered around before dissipating with the body. That was the last straw.

I screamed, the sound echoing through the buildings till it seemed I would be deafened by my own cry. I ran blindly through the streets until I found Ansem, bent over a body.

"Ansem!" I gasped. He looked up, and rose.

"Lokii, what…?" he started to say. I slammed into him, and held him tight, sobbing fitfully. "What is it? What did you see?" he asked. I didn't answer, just pressed myself closer to him. He didn't say anything, just stroked my hair.

"Ansem… they…" I whispered.

"I know. The ash covered them before they had a chance to escape, preserving them perfectly," he said. "It happened thousands of years ago. I thought the story about their sun seemed fishy to me. If their sun had exploded, they would have been destroyed as well. The world is so dark because of a massive volcanic ash cloud."

"No, their ghosts," I said.

Ansem gave me a sharp look. "Ghosts? Impossible."

I shook my head, looking up at him. "No, it's true! I went into a house, and saw the ghost of a child, playing a mandolin! And there was another… an old lady petting her cat."

"What house?"

I pointed to the house nearest the steps, where I had seen the child.

"That one there," I said. Ansem looked at me strangely.

"Lokii… there's no house there," he said, frowning at me. I stared at him, then where I thought the house to be. It flickered, and faded. The building was nothing more than rubble. I rubbed my eyes. The rest of the city followed suit, disappearing into piles of marble and ash. I shook my head, and went over to the ruins. I stared at them.

"No… there was a child's skeleton here! It was holding a mandolin!" I cried. The ruins seemed to spin, and everything went black.

* * *

A/N: O.o;; Yep. It's official. I've lost control of my fic.

The city in the volcano was inspired by such ruins as the Aztec ruins, Macchu Picchu, and any other well-preserved ruins in odd places. The fate of the inhabitants was inspired by, duh, Pompeii. Sorta. Rawr. Note to self: Add the Ramones to my list of music I shouldn't listen to while writing. Yep, yep, yep. Rawr. Fear my weirdness, which is bound to increase. Rawr. Kamikaze watermelon! (Fanfare) Wheee! Splat!

Oh yeah! Did anyone catch my little homage to Castle in the Sky when I was describing Sam's ship some three chapters back? I totally forgot to mention it in the author's notes. o.o;; (Laughs) It's bad enough I keep quoting Hayao Miyazaki's movies at random moments, now they're worming their way into my fanfics! Help!


	7. Chapter 7

Rawr! I have returned with more! Muahahaha! Fear me! Hold on to your butts, cuz this chapter's gonna be heavy on the action and light on the shojo! ((I hope…)) For you shojo-lovin' readers out there, hang tight till the next chappie! If you like horror, and hate Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Sora, keep an eye out for my M-rated horror fic "Death to Disney!" Stupid rat! Stay out of Ansem-kun's way or I'll force-feed you cyanide!

Ansem: I wanted to do that…  
Me: OK, I'll off Donald and Goofy, and you can slay Sora too!  
Ansem: XD  
Me: But for the purposes of the fic, you can kill 'em all!  
Ansem: Yay! XDXD

Incidentally, I accidentally killed Riku and Kairi in that one. Kairi no one cares about, but Riku… I'll have to put plywood over my bedroom windows, ne?

**heartsoblivion: **New reviewer! XD The plot is the end result of listening to Daft Punk, Beethoven, the Ramones, etc. while writing. NEVER DO THAT:P Yay! Someone says I rock! Wunderbar! Everyone seems to like the letters at the beginning. Maybe I'll use them at the end too… or I'll use third-person. I'm better at that, methinks.

ooo

I awoke in a strange building. Before my eyes, it faded, and I found I was lying on a huge, flat boulder. I stood, and looked around. I didn't see Ansem anywhere. I thought I saw something glimmering, but when I looked closer it was just another skull. As the others had, it disintegrated when I approached.

I sighed. My head was pounding, and my wings throbbed. I realized I should have gotten rid of them, but I liked them too much. And I wasn't willing to have them ripping out of my back again the next time I needed them. I wandered around the remains of the city, trying to find Ansem. I heard voices from the lip of the volcano, carried on the breeze.

Our pursuers had caught up, it seemed. I saw no sign of their machines, and they had all removed their helmets. They all seemed to be in deep discussion.

"If they've gone done there, we'll likely never find them," said one, a curious-looking man with shaggy brown hair. I thought he looked rather feminine, but most of them did seem sort of androgynous.

"Of course we will. Their scents are hard to ignore," spoke another, this one with silver hair. He looked like someone who hid in the shadows and let others do his bidding.

"Yes, of course, as no one can fool a dog's nose, eh Zexion?" sneered another, this one with bright red hair that stood out in spikes. He looked perpetually amused about something, and I wasn't too eager to find out what.

Zexion's eye twitched, but other than that, he gave no sign he'd heard.

"Stop trying to stir up trouble, Axel," said the first speaker. Axel barely spared him a glance.

"Gee, Marluxia, where's the trust?" Axel replied, smirking.

"Are we actually going to get down there and search?" said a new speaker, who had up until now said nothing. His hair actually looked normal compared to the others, long and blonde. He had a smug look about his face, and looked like he could have given Zexion competition in the scheming department.

"Of course. After we let the Heartless have their fun. Be _patient_, Vexen," Marluxia said. A troop of Heartless swarmed to the edges of the volcano, so thick that there appeared to be a black cloud resting on the edges.

_Oh. This isn't good,_ I thought. I slid back into the shadows, and renewed my efforts to find Ansem. The Heartless began trooping down the stairs, just above where I was searching. I could hear the pounding of their feet, and held my breath as they passed. I heard Axel shout something at them, and then the sound of something being trod on by several thousand pairs of feet.

Once most of them seemed to have passed, I started out of the crevice, and froze as I heard Axel and Vexen.

"Are you absolutely positive they're here?" That was Vexen.

"Yes, I've told you a thousand times," Axel replied contemptuously. "Larxene reported that ship landing here."

"Do you really trust her?" Vexen inquired.

"Not really," Axel admitted. "But she was the only one who saw where it landed. What do you want with that girl anyway?"

"I don't think that's really any of your concern," Vexen snapped icily.

"Just curious," Axel answered, a barely contained sneer in his voice.

I waited until they past, then crept out of the crevice and flew away. I had to find Ansem, fast. I landed in front of another crevice, and headed in. It was a tight fit. My wings almost got stuck. I heard the sound of footsteps, and whipped around. Someone was approaching. It was Zexion. He headed right by me, and paused. A frown creased his brow, then he moved on.

I sighed, and nearly cried out as a hand covered my mouth. I twisted, and turned around.

"Shh, it's only me," Ansem whispered. My shoulders sagged with relief. Ansem released me, and I turned to face him. "This way," he said, heading deeper into the crevice.

"Who are they?" I asked, once we were a safe distance away from the opening.

"The Organization," Ansem replied. "Not much is known about them."

We didn't speak as we headed deeper into the volcano. I kept thinking about the former inhabitants, and how they died. If the volcano was still active… I couldn't finish the thought.

It grew darker the further in we went. Soon I couldn't see even five feet in front of me. I stopped.

"Ansem, hold up," I said. The sound of his footsteps ceased.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't see a thing. Can you?"

"Yes, but my control over the darkness is greater than yours."

"Let's shed some light on the subject." Ansem and I started. Neither of us had spoken.

A small, round light flared between us, held by a man with flyaway blonde hair, and odd eyes, one darker than the other.

"Who the hell are you?" Ansem demanded.

The man smirked. "No one too important. Just passing through," he replied.

Ansem glared at him, as did I. He looked familiar to me somehow, but I couldn't place his face.

"If you keep going, you'll run into a bit of a sticky spot," the man said, indicating our original path. "Of course, you'd be in as much trouble if you went back." He laughed.

"Then what the hell do you expect us to do?" I said, my temper flaring.

He shrugged. "You could stay here and rot."

"Not an option," Ansem growled. "If you have nothing useful to say, get the hell out of here."

The man grinned again. "Fine. I'll take this with me as well." The globe of light disappeared as he closed his fingers around it. We were thrown into darkness again. "See you later. Or not. Most likely not."

"Can't you say anything useful?" I snarled. No answer. He had gone. I growled. "Bastard," I muttered.

"Well… what shall we do?" Ansem asked.

"Maybe we should go back. At least we can see what the Organization is up to."

"True."

I turned, and started walking back the way we had come. When we reached the crevice, we found the entire troop of Heartless outside it. Zexion stood in the middle, Axel and Marluxia next to him.

"They're in there, then?" Marluxia said.

"Of course," Zexion said.

Axel didn't say anything.

"What is it?" Ansem whispered. I moved aside, and he carefully peered out. "Oh damn."

"What do we do?" I said.

A crystal fell from somewhere above, shattered, and released a cloud of ash and dust. A familiar voice sounded.

"I'd take advantage of this if I were you."

I seized Ansem, and dragged him out of the crevice. I grabbed onto him, and took off, my wings fanning the dust cloud. Coughing, Zexion rose out of the mass and fired a crossbow at me. The bolt pierced my wing, and I bit back a cry. I flapped harder, and we rose above the cloud. I flew towards the dome in the center of the city, and flew in through one of the cracks. I skidded to a halt, leaving Ansem a few feet behind me.

I twisted around, trying to get at the arrow stuck in my wing.

"Here," I heard Ansem say. I felt his hands on my wing, firm but gentle. "This will hurt." He grasped the arrow, and tugged hard. I tried not to scream, and Ansem threw the arrow away. He healed the hole, and I collapsed against him. He held me, and I relaxed in his arms. I heard a voice.

"Hmph. Axel always messes everything up, doesn't he?" This was a woman's voice, high pitched.

"Yes, well, don't kill them, Larxene. Remember, they're wanted alive." That was Vexen.

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

Ansem and I slid further into the shadows near a hole. I peered through it. A woman with short, slicked back blonde hair was standing with her arms crossed and staring at the dome. She raised an arm, and lightning began to crackle around her hand.

A/N: Ooo, cliffy! Anyone get who the mystery man was? If so, tell me in a review. Rawr. Fear my cliffhanger powers.


	8. Chapter 8

Guten tag! Yes indeed, folks, I felt nice today and decided to do two updates at once, that I did! (Spoken like Kenshin) If you didn't figure out who the mystery dude is, you'll probably get it by now. There's a major clue near the end. If not, I have revealed his identity in the next chapter. Rawr. Fear the shojo-ness.

ooo

"You should really consider leaving now."

Ansem and I turned. The man from the crevice was back, leaning against a slab of marble. I looked up, and noticed one of his crystals was hovering above us, emitting a faint glow.

"If you follow me, I can lead you out," he said. We didn't answer. "Thought so. This way, then." He turned, and walked around the marble. I started to follow, when I noticed Ansem wasn't coming.

"Ansem, come on! We have to leave!" I said to him.

He shook his head. "I'm staying."

I frowned. "Don't be stupid. You can't stay! You'll die."

"What of it!" Ansem snarled. I was taken aback.

"Ansem, what?" I said. "Surely you don't…?"

"I do." His face was twisted, as though he was in pain. "My life has been a living hell since I fought that brat Sora. I feel as though I'm constantly engulfed in hellfire! Every waking moment brings pain to me! And there is nothing, NOTHING that can help me!"

He turned away. "Don't you see? Death is the only release I have left!" he cried. "Why take away what hope I have left!" He turned his face to the ground, his silver hair falling in front of his face. Drops fell to the earth. He was crying. "…Why…?" he murmured.

I felt tears of my own sliding down my cheek.

"Because…" I bit my lip. "Because I love you."

Ansem looked at me sharply, shock etched on his face. A lone tear slid down his cheek.

"What?" he said softly, almost incredulously.

"I love you, Ansem. I couldn't bear to lose you. It would be the end of me," I said. "Perhaps you thought that those who had lost their hearts couldn't love. Perhaps you thought that anyone who lost their heart became a Heartless. But I didn't. I still love you. You're the only one I have."

I looked down.

"Even before I lost my heart, I thought I would never fall in love," I continued brokenly. My voice was choked with sobs. "My heart was nothing more than a lump of ice." I looked up at him. "Don't you see? You melted my heart! You made it possible for me to love, Ansem! I love you! If you die, I would most surely die as well. No one would be able to heal the wound; no one could fill the space. I love you!" I was shouting then.

"I couldn't love, didn't love before. I had heard too many stories of people who got burned. I didn't want to be one of them, so I refused to love. You changed that for me! You were all I thought about after Kairi told me about you." My shoulders shook with sobs. "I love you…"

My voice trailed off, and I looked down, sobbing unchecked.

"Lokii…" I heard Ansem murmur. I closed my eyes. I heard his feet crunching on the charred ground, and felt his fingers under my chin. "Look at me, Lokii." Reluctantly, I looked up.

Ansem's orange eyes were filled with tears.

"I love you, too," he whispered. Then he kissed me hard on the mouth. His arms encircled me, and I pressed myself against his hard chest.

"I was wrong," I heard him whisper. "There is one thing that eases my pain. You, Lokii. I love you, from the depths of my soul. I love you." He kissed me again, and I wrapped my arms around him. Time seemed to stop. I couldn't hear anything, see anything, feel anything except Ansem's kiss, his arms around me. All I cared about was Ansem. I held him close, and twined my fingers in his hair. Behind us, I heard the man singing softly.

"_There's such a sad love/ Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel/ Open and closed, within your eyes/ I'll place the sky within your eyes…._"

"I love you so much," I whispered.

He pulled away, and the feel of his lips against mine lingered. "I love you too," he whispered. I kissed him. Our bodies were so close I thought we would merge into one being. I could feel his heart hammering madly against his ribcage.

"_There's such a fooled heart/ Beating so fast, in search of new dreams/ A love that will last, within your heart/ I'll place the moon within your heart…_"

Then the lightning came raining down.

Still we stayed in each other's arms. Lightning struck all around us, several bolts coming dangerously close. And yet we didn't move.

"_As the pain sweeps through/ Makes no sense for you/ Every thrill has gone/ Wasn't too much fun at all/ But I'll be there for you…/ As the world falls down/ Falling/ Falling in love…_"

"You won't die alone," I whispered.

"I would rather die in your arms than alone," he whispered back. "Love you forever."

"Love you always," I whispered back.

"_I'll paint you mornings of gold/ I'll spin you Valentine evenings/ Though we're strangers till now/ We're choosing the path between the stars/ I'll lay my love between the stars…/ As the pain sweeps through/ Makes no sense for you/ Every thrill has gone/ Wasn't too much fun at all/ But I'll be there for you…/ As the world falls down…"_

Then a bolt struck us, and I knew no more.

A/N: Aackk… so short… two and two-thirds typed pages… o.O;;

Hey K-chan! Look how I can write when I want to! Didja know I could do that? (Blows raspberry)

R and R, and I shall return with more! Course, I'd return anyway. (Laugh) Whoa! Six chappies left! XD


	9. Chapter 9

Guten tag! Oh God! I was watching Whose Line, and they were playing the Hats game, with "the world's worst dating service video." Colin Mochrey had a MALEFICENT hat! I was like, "Oh my god, it's Maleficent! Mein Gott!" Aackk…. And then he makes it worse by saying, "You should see my pants." X.X;; And now for the new batch of reviewers!

**Thatz of the Dragon Knights:** Erm, you know… 4-6-4-9 isn't just a Hellsing thing. I think it's an actual pun thingy. I mean, consider that line in "Excel Saga:" "Damn, you even picked up on all these stupid Japanese word-play jokes!" At least, I guess it is… ack! Confusion! (Hides in the corner) If you wanna see what else this Hellsing obsessed otaku is getting herself up to, check me bio! XD

**Lady Sonora the Black-Rose: **Glad you liked it! XD

ooo

When we awoke, we were in a dungeon. Ansem was still unconscious when I woke up. We both had burns on our arms and faces. I got painfully to my feet, and looked around. The walls of the dungeon were white, almost like the city. But something told me we were far from Eien no Yoru.

I stood at the door, trying to pick the lock with a claw. I heard a groan behind me, and whipped around. Ansem was slowly awakening. My claw slid back into my fingertip, and I raced over to him.

"Where… are we?" he mumbled.

"I don't know," I said. Ansem stood, and headed over to the cell door, peering out.

"I think we're in Castle Oblivion," he said. I stood, and went to stand next to him. "I wonder if there's a way to get out of here?"

"Not a chance."

I looked around. The man was leaning against the wall, watching us.

Ansem turned, and saw him. He moved forward, and grabbed the man's collar.

"Who the hell are you?" Ansem snarled. "Tell us now."

The man didn't seem perturbed. "I told you before, no one too important," he said.

"Tell us," I snapped, sick of the mystery. Ansem moved one hand from the man's collar to around his neck.

"Fine," he said. "I'm Jareth, the goblin king."

Ansem slammed him into the wall. "Oh, very funny. Seriously, who are you?"

Jareth rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly. I _am _the goblin king. Or was, until recently. Some little brat tried to rescue her baby stepbrother, and things went downhill from there. She succeeded, sending my world, the Labyrinth, into darkness. I escaped to Eien no Yoru, but I was the only one. My goblins met their end when the darkness took over the city."

Ansem and I looked at each other.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Ansem said.

Jareth shrugged. "You don't. But what's it matter? We're stuck here anyway."

I turned as I heard the sounds of footsteps. A Shadow Heartless was approaching. It was carrying a set of keys. It stuck one in the keyhole of the cell, and dragged Jareth away. He turned back to us and shrugged.

A perfectly round crystal bounced down the hallway, and through the bars of the door. I picked it up, and stared at it. In it, I could see everything that was happening to Jareth. The Heartless was leading him to a room with a heavy steel door. The Heartless rapped its claws on the door, and it opened.

Vexen, Axel, and Larxene stood in the room. The room was empty except for a chair. The Heartless shoved Jareth into the chair, and tied his arms behind his back.

"So… you are the goblin king?" Vexen said.

"What's it matter to you?" Jareth replied.

"We have been searching for you. Ever since your world was destroyed, we have been wishing to get our hands on you," Vexen said smoothly.

"Why?"

"None of your concern," Vexen snapped.

"What's that?" Axel said suddenly, pointing to the ground next to Jareth's foot. One of the crystals rested there.

"It's a crystal. Nothing more," Jareth said.

"Destroy it, Larxene," Vexen ordered. A lighting bolt struck the crystal, and the one I was holding when black.

"Damn," I muttered. "Well, that's no good."

"What?" Ansem said. He hadn't noticed the crystal.

I threw it at the wall, and it shattered. "One of Jareth's crystals. He had another one, linked to that one, showing what they were doing to him, but Larxene destroyed it."

Ansem slumped against the wall. "So. Now what?"

I sat next to him, leaning against his shoulders. He put his arm around me, and held me close. "I don't know. Sometimes I feel like some divine being is laughing at me."

He rested his head on mine, and sighed. I was exhausted, and fell asleep within a matter of moments.

"Lokii, wake up. Hurry."

Blearily, I opened my eyes. I came fully awake in about three seconds.

There was a Shadow at the door, holding it wide open. Ansem was nowhere to be seen. I had no idea who had spoken, but I got my answer soon enough.

Axel stood behind the Shadow. He was idly twirling a ring of keys around his fingers.

"Vexen says it's your turn," he said nonchalantly. He beckoned to me with his other hand.

"For what?" I asked cautiously. Axel grinned.

"Mum's the word, Lokii," he said. Feeling like I had no other choice, I stood and followed him. He led me on the same path that Jareth had taken.

"Where's Ansem?" I demanded.

Axel laughed softly. "Your loverboy has already spoken with Vexen. We certainly had to go all out on him."

"What do you mean!"

"Exactly as I say. It was rather amusing."

_You sick bastard. You twisted, evil, foul…_He shoved me through a door, and tied me to the chair.

I strained against the bonds. "Let me go!" I shouted.

"Be quiet," Vexen snapped. "It has been very trying today. Jareth died before we could finish, and Ansem refused to comply to our wishes."

"I bet he did, you bastards! Let me go, or else!" I snapped.

"I think not. Now answer our questions, or things could get very ugly," Vexen replied. "First: What is the extent of your powers?"

I spat on the floor near his feet. He frowned.

"Fine. Larxene, if you will?" he said, smirking. A bolt of lighting came out of nowhere and struck me. I almost cried out, but gritted my teeth, and said nothing. When the lightning receded, I stuck my tongue out at Vexen. He narrowed his eyes, and motioned Axel forward. Axel shot a fireball at me. He missed by a fraction.

"Next time, I won't miss," he said calmly.

"There won't be a next time, jackass!" I snarled.

They had made a critical error: they hadn't bargained in my wings. I strained at the ropes with my arms and wings. Vexen frowned, and for a moment he didn't look so smug. I could feel the ropes beginning to go, rubbed by the scales on my wings and pulled too far by my exertions. The ropes snapped.

Vexen looked alarmed, and Axel tried to hit me with fireballs. I wrapped my wings around me, and the fireballs glanced off, one catching Larxene. Her outfit caught on fire, and she screamed. Vexen cast an ice spell on her, and she stood against the wall, shivering too much to react. I launched myself at Axel, calling out my claws. He blocked my initial assault. I swung my leg at him in a roundhouse kick. I caught him on the arm. By the sound, I snapped it.

Axel's right arm hung uselessly at his side. He snarled at me.

"So you can fight. Fine then!" he yelled. He tried to kick me in the head. I ducked, and surged forward, catching him in the stomach. He doubled over, gasping for breath. I slammed my fist at the back of his head, knocking him out. I turned to Vexen.

He was grinning madly. "Perfect," he crowed. "Just as I thought." Then he disappeared.

"Get back here, you coward!" I yelled uselessly. When he didn't reappear, I turned to Larxene, cracking my knuckles. "Where's Ansem?" I snarled at her. Still shivering, she pointed further down the hall. I ran out the door, and towards another cell. I peered in. A figure was huddled against the wall. "Who are you?" I said. In the dark cell, I saw a pair of orange eyes flash.

"Lokii!" the figure cried.

"Ansem!" I said. He stood, and fell back down.

"I can't stand… they beat the shit out of me," he said, his teeth gritted. He looked a mess. Dried blood covered one side of his face, and there was a deep gash above his eyebrow.

"Well, I got revenge for you. I beat up Axel," I said. "Stand back." I tried to find the dark power again, and unleashed a massive fireball at the cell doors, blowing them apart. I raced into the cell. Shakily, Ansem stood. I hurriedly ducked under his arm, supporting him as he limped out of the cell.

"Can you hang on to me if I start flying?" I asked urgently.

"I think so," Ansem replied. I grabbed him again, and he winced. I suspected broken ribs. I flapped my wings, and took off down the hall.

"We need to get back to Hollow Bastion," Ansem said.

"I know, but how?" I said. "Do you know what happened to Sam and the others?"

"No, admittedly." He grimaced, and I landed. I tried to remember how I had used the healing spell, and felt the by now familiar throb from my scar. Ansem stood, completely healed. "That makes things easier." The two of us took off down the hallway.

"Is Jareth really dead?" I asked as we ran.

"Probably," Ansem said indifferently. "Who cares? We should really worry about ourselves at the moment."

"I just wanted to know why he helped us," I replied. I didn't have much time to say more, for at that moment Marluxia stepped out of a door, an enormous scythe in his hands.

"Just where are you going?" he said. "I do hope you're not trying to escape again. It was such a bother trying to capture you two the first time. I'd really prefer not to have to endure a repeat performance."

"Go boil your head," I snapped, my claws sliding out of my fingertips. I dropped down, my foot flying out to hook around Marluxia's leg. I pulled him down, the scythe flying out of his hands. Ansem caught it.

Marluxia was on his feet in an instant. His face twisted in anger, and his fist flew at my head. I threw my arms up, and blocked his blow. That hurt. I tried to hit him with another roundhouse kick, and he ducked, but I clipped him on the top of the head. I punched down at him, and he dropped flat and rolled away.

He jumped up, and teleported behind me, punching me in the temple. Lights danced in my eyes, and I spun around, hoping to catch him off guard. My foot struck his arm. Abruptly, I kicked him in the chest, hoping to break a few ribs. He doubled over, trying to get his wind back. I saw a flash of silver, and backed against the wall. Marluxia stood, and Ansem's foot connected solidly with his windpipe.

Marluxia made a curious hacking noise, and managed to kick Ansem's arm. A sharp retort echoed through the hall. Ansem winced horribly, and Marluxia fell, a purpling bruise forming on his neck.

"Come on!" Ansem yelled, grabbing my hand. We ran blindly down the corridor. We came to a door, and pushed it open. It appeared to be a hangar, mostly full of giant airships. But there was one normal ship, tucked away in a corner. We ran over to it, and managed to stumble inside.

I slid into the pilot's seat, and Ansem slumped against the wall, clutching his arm.

"Do you even know how to fly this thing?" he said, attempting to heal his arm.

"No fucking clue."

A/N: XD Lokii can't fly a gummi ship to save her ass. They're screwed. Ha ha.

Yeah, Jareth was here. He died. Time to brave the fangirls. I was listening to the Labyrinth soundtrack when I was writing. Never do that again. Honestly, Jareth wasn't supposed to be there. Oh well. I blame my easily influenced Board of Crackhead Muses. They're all morons. (Laughs)

Ja, I used "As the World Falls Down" in the previous chapter. That's one of my favourite songs from the movie, and for some reason that was my one of favourite scenes, dunno why. Somehow, I don't think Jareth wouldn't have been half as cool if they hadn't used David Bowie. Anyone agree? Or am I being too weird for words again? Did you know that Bowie's eyes are different because he got stabbed in the eye with a stick? My mom told me.


	10. Chapter 10

Rawr! I have returned! And now I can indulge somewhat in my love of humour and my Star Wars nerdiness. If you can find one of the Star Wars references (and it isn't easy), you get a cookie! (Waves box of cookies around) If you find the second, you get a plushie as well! (Waves box of plushies) A hint: They're only from episodes one and three. But the rest is classified! XD If you find the "Yellow Submarine" movie reference(s), you get all of the above, and my highest opinion of your tastes! Which is something, cuz most people don't get that. Just scorn. (Laughs mercilessly)

Eee! This update was late! Sorry! Oh well, it was only a week. I have this whole story written, but I went to an anime convention last weekend and couldn't update. I was too busy playing with my plushies and parading my "Naruto" gauntlet and headband. Sound ninjas all the way! XD Orochimaru rocks! Right? I think so. But then, I like villains. (Shrugs)

ooo

Nervously, I stared at the controls. I had never even been inside a ship like this, let alone flown one.

"Should I…?" Ansem began.

"No! You're in no condition," I countered. "Besides, I should be able to figure it out." My hand hovered over a likely looking red button. "Here goes." I pushed it. Lasers shot out and decimated one of the airships. Ansem clapped a hand to his forehead.

"Oops," I muttered sheepishly. I tried a smaller, green button. This time I heard the engines warm up. I frowned. "Why the hell is the ignition less noticeable than the trigger!"

The ship began to rise and turn around with agonizing slowness as I pulled as hard as I could on the controls. To make matters worse, a large number of Wizard Heartless appeared, and began firing thunder spells at us.

"Shields, Lokii!" Ansem shouted.

"I know, I know, I'm trying!" I cried. "Oh, which one?" I hit a button at random. The lasers again. They swept through the crowd of Heartless, slaying most of them instantly. The few remaining disappeared. I turned the ship around, still firing, and destroyed nearly all of the airships. "Might as well do as much damage as we can while we're here, no?"

Finally, I got the thrusters working, and the ship shot through the hangar doors, leaving them charred and twisted, and numerous dents and dings on the ship.

"Oops," I muttered again. We got off the ground, and shot through the atmosphere. I heard Ansem heave a sigh of relief. "I wonder if you can set these heaps to autopilot?" I said.

"Probably," Ansem said, getting to his feet. He came over to the controls, and looked them over. "But which one?"

"I guess you just start pressing buttons and hope for the best," I replied, casting a dubious glance over the rows of buttons. Ansem pushed a button, and some very odd music started playing.

"_One, two, three, four/ Can I have a little more…_"

I stared at controls. What in the hell possessed them to keep that song around? Hurriedly, Ansem pressed the button again, and the music ceased. I gave him a look, and he shrugged. I tried this time, and a banner appeared out of nowhere that read, "The Rolling Stones!"

"Where the hell did that come from!"

"We need to find the autopilot before anything else happens."

"So press a button."

Ansem hit a yellow button, and the word "Destination?" appeared on the screen. A cluster of worlds, each with their own labels, appeared as well.

"That's more like it," Ansem muttered, as he tried to locate Hollow Bastion. Once he found it, the word "Confirm?" appeared. Ansem pressed the button again, and the direct route to Hollow Bastion appeared. The ship's controls jerked out of my hands, following the course indicated.

I relaxed in the pilot's seat, my hand over my face. "What a hassle," I muttered darkly.

It took us a while to reach Hollow Bastion. When we finally neared, the autopilot abruptly switched off.

"What the hell?" I muttered. Words flashed on the screen: "Danger! Enemy ships within range!" My eyes widened. Large numbers of Heartless ships were clustered around the world, preventing our landing. "Oh shit!" I cried, startling Ansem, who had been asleep.

"Lokii, what?" he asked. I pointed at the screen, and Ansem uttered a string of swears that would have put Sam's pirates to shame.

I grabbed the controls and indicated the seat next to mine.

"You handle firing, I'll handle steering," I said. Ansem gave me a dubious look, and I glared at him.

The first of the Heartless ships charged forward. Ansem hit the triggers, and the ships exploded after a few hits. The next Heartless ships followed suit, and I yanked on the controls again, taking us out of their range. But we hit a meteor, and felt the ship's underside scraping on it. Something broke off, and we couldn't look to see what. Ansem fired the lasers, and the next row of ships exploded. Our path was almost clear. I gunned the engines, and the ship roared towards Hollow Bastion.

Suddenly a massive Heartless ship reared up out of nowhere. It rammed into us, and while we survived, the Heartless ship did not. It exploded, and an alarm sounded on our ship. We had taken critical damage. The ship plummeted out of control towards Hollow Bastion as part of the back end broke off.

"Can we control it like this?" Ansem shouted over the din of alarms.

"Not likely!" I yelled. "The engines are gone!" Nevertheless, I tugged and pulled on the controls with all my might, hoping at least to slow our descent. As we entered the atmosphere, the ship started to catch fire. Soon the entire thing was ablaze.

"Oh shiit!" I yelled as the ground rushed up to meet us at a frightening speed. The ship hit the ground nose-first, plowing a massive, smoking trough in the tiles just outside the main entrance. Miraculously, the ship stopped a mere foot away from the walls.

Shaken somewhat, Ansem and I stumbled out of the wreckage. We looked at the remains, the walls, and each other. We repeated this cycle several times. Then we laughed.

-

A few days later, I found Ansem in the library, deep in discussion with a man with very long silver hair.

"So… is everything proceeding according to plan?" the stranger asked.

Ansem nodded. "The Organization is no longer a threat, so there is nothing hindering us."

"Good. How did you get them out of the way?"

"I had to let them capture me. That was not a pleasant experience."

"I can imagine. I assume you dealt with them thoroughly?"

"Yes, I imagine they're still whimpering at their castle now." The two of them laughed.

"Does she expect anything?" the visitor asked.

"No, she does not. She remains unaware of our plans, the foolish girl," Ansem replied. I noticed he did not seem as convicted as he spoke. He almost seemed depressed about something. "Lokii remains as unaware as ever."

I felt a chill race down my spine. Whatever they were planning, it had something to do with me. I backed up, and called Tsubasa to my side. I handed him the small sketchbook I kept in my pockets for doodles and my pencil.

"Act like you've stolen them," I whispered to him. He nodded, and took to the air, flying away with my book and pencil in his mouth, slamming the library doors open. I ran after him, acting like I was chasing him. "Get back here, you damn Heartless!" I shouted as I entered.

Ansem and the visitor stopped talking immediately, Ansem looking startled. The visitor turned in his chair as I thundered down the stairs after Tsubasa, who crashed into a shelf artfully, dropping my sketchbook and pencil. I retrieved them, and turned to Ansem and the stranger.

"Oops. Sorry. I wasn't disturbing anything, was I?" I said, acting repentant.

"No, Lokii," Ansem said, sighing and running a hand through his hair. The visitor was coldly regarding me. I noted the man's icy blue eyes and lone black wing. "This is Sephiroth, an old acquaintance of mine."

"Charmed, I'm sure," the man said blandly. He stood, his long black coat rustling softly. "Well, I really must depart. Until later, Ansem, Lokii." With that, he turned and left, grabbing a massive katana on his way out.

"What is it, Lokii?" I heard Ansem say. I held up my sketchbook and pencil.

"Tsubasa nicked these. I was trying to get them back," I said.

Ansem didn't respond. He turned to the bookshelves.

I left the library, my thoughts whirling. What had they been talking about? Where did I fit in? It wasn't long before I found out.

A/N: O.o So who found the references? I hope someone did, at least. And I lied. I don't think it'll be fifteen chapters. Maybe more like thirteen, or something, counting the epilogue. Which'll end up being thirteen anyway, I suppose. Blah. And lookit! I succumbed to my former obsessions and put Sephiroth in this. I used to be a Sephiroth fangirl, it's true. Still kinda am… (Sigh) Oh well. I'm an Ansem fangirl now, true and true! Yep, yep, yep! And I don't know why the Organization would be keeping airships around, and I really don't care! XD

On a different note, I beat FF7, and while I was fighting Safer Sephiroth, the word I used the most was "SHIT!" I lost track of how many times I said it. Then, during the last scenes, I kept mumbling, "Sephy-kuuuun…"


	11. Chapter 11

Double update! Courtesy of my not-updating last weekend courtesy of Otakon. Woo! I'm almost done! Just this, and two more chapters after this! Holy crap! XD Wow… it doesn't seem like I've posted eleven chapters already… I guess that's what happens when you update once a week or thereabouts. There might be a side story and a sequel for this. But the side story will be presented as chapter fourteen. It'll be long. If I post it. I might not. I'll keep you guessing, shall I? Hehehe… I got a demo disc with the Advent Children trailer on it, and I saw it a dozen times when I first stuck it in… XD I have now seen it close to thirty times.

ooo

The months passed quickly. Sephiroth showed up more and more, and Ansem had taken to locking the library doors when he showed up so I couldn't get in. Once or twice, I saw Sephiroth carrying long sheets of paper, tightly rolled.

Ansem and I remained as close as ever. Frequently, we went down to the falls and simply sat together, never saying a word, just enjoying the fact that the other was there. Whatever he and Sephiroth had planned for me, I didn't care. I realize now that I should have.

One night, we were out at the Falls as usual, when Ansem had looked up at the sky.

"Shin no Hoshi,** (1)**" he muttered. "Damn."

I looked at him curiously. He smiled and shook his head. He said nothing more about the stars or anything, and neither did I.

The next day was the singular worst day of my life. The day everything came crashing down my ears, and I lost the single most important thing in my life.

That day, I was lying on my bed reading a book. Ansem came in, looking unexpectedly grim, and doing his level best to hide it.

"Lokii," he said, "come with me."

I set down my book, and followed him. He was moving quite fast, and I had trouble keeping up.

"Ansem, slow down!" I said loudly. He stopped abruptly, and I ran into him. He whirled around, and kissed me on the mouth. He pulled away, and continued walking, though his pace had slowed up.

He led the way to a room I'd never seen before. This room was stark white and empty, except for a chair in the middle of the room with chains hanging from the arms. A window was visible near the ceiling, but I could tell it didn't show the outside.

"Ansem, what…?" I started, but Ansem ignored me. Finally, we drew level with the chair. Ansem whipped around, and shoved me into the chair. The chains shot up and bound me to the chair. "What the hell?" I cried, struggling. Ansem teleported into the space behind the window.

"Stop struggling!"

I recognized the voice as Sephiroth's, and saw him also behind the window.

"You won't break those chains. So your efforts are wasted," he said scornfully. Ansem remained silent.

"What are you planning to do?" I snarled.

"Why, steal your heart, of course!" Sephiroth said, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? But…"

"Nothing more than a clever illusion. Though, you fell for it anyway," Sephiroth sneered. He laughed then. "Ansem played his part very well indeed!"

"What!" I cried. I looked at Ansem. He was staring fixedly at the walls. "You mean…"

Sephiroth laughed again. "You mean you honestly thought he loved you? A scrawny little shit like you?" he said incredulously. "Oh, brilliant! Bloody brilliant! Ansem, you are without doubt the best actor I've met!"

I felt hot tears spring to my eyes. "So it was all… a lie?" I said softly. I looked down. "How could you…? HOW COULD YOU!" I shouted, looking at Ansem again. "How could you toy with my emotions like that!"

I couldn't bear it. I felt as though I would be torn in two. I stared up at Ansem, the man I had loved so much, and the only man I ever would love. I started sobbing as I'd never sobbed before. Through a haze of tears, I saw Ansem still staring at the walls, and Sephiroth looking at me, scorn curling his upper lip.

"Do you think he cares about your emotions?" he snapped. "You are sadly mistaken. It was all an act, even that little episode in the world of darkness. Idiot." He pressed a button, and a door on the wall slid open, admitting a Heartless I belatedly recognized as an Invisible into the room. It was toting its giant sword.

"Ansem, would you like the honor of giving the order?" Sephiroth asked. Ansem raised his hand, then let it fall.

"I can't," he whispered. "I'm sorry Sephiroth, but I just… can't."

"Fine," Sephiroth snarled. "Now!"

The Heartless moved forward. I shut my eyes tight, hearing a crashing of glass. The Invisible lifted its sword, and plunged it…

…Right into Ansem's back.

"What!" Sephiroth said, slamming his fist on the wall. "Impossible!"

Ansem had jumped through the window and moved in front of the Heartless just as it was about to cut out my heart. He was cut by numerous shards of glass, but these were nothing compared to the awful wound in his back. The Heartless pulled its sword out, surprised, and disappeared.

"Lokii… I couldn't let him… couldn't let him kill you," Ansem gasped. He slumped forward. I strained hard on the chains, and finally they gave way. I leapt forward and caught Ansem.

His eyes opened halfway. "Lokii… no matter what… always remember… I love you. No matter… what Sephiroth says…. I love you." His body convulsed, then he spoke again, a trickle of blood twisting down from the corner of his mouth. "It's true…I _was_ acting at first… but then… I don't know when… but sometime… I truly started… to love you…. No one… can change that. Love you forever."

"Love you always," I whispered. Ansem smiled weakly, and his hand reached up to touch my face. The tips of his fingers brushed my cheek. Then it fell. His eyes closed, and his head rolled to one side. "Ansem? Ansem!" I cried. I shook him, but he didn't move.

I knew then that he was dead.

My tears fell onto his lifeless body. I clutched him tightly, sobbing hard.

I don't know when Sephiroth left, and I didn't care one whit.

All I knew was that Ansem, the only man I had ever loved, was gone forever.

A/N: O.O;; Mein Gott! I killed him! Oh no! Ack! And Sephy-kun's evil! Eeee! (Runs amok until a muse smacks her in the head)

Heh heh… oops. My bad. Er… oh dear. I should probably run. I'll leave the muses to do the Author's Notes. Auf Wiedersehen! (Heads for the hills)

Siegfried (muse responsible for Jareth's appearance and other things music-influenced): So… what the hell are we supposed to do?

Andante (muse responsible for this whole fic): Dunno.

Mirath (muse responsible for the tragic bits): Well… we could sing the "Funbox" song. Since, y'know, the inside of Fenrir's head is kinda like the Funbox….

All muses: "Funbox, oh Funbox! Small and square and dark! Funbox, oh Funbox! Check out these cool Funlocks, YAY!"

(From a faraway hilltop) Good lord, they're singing the "Funbox" song. I leave them to do the Author's Notes, and what do they do? They sing the "Funbox" song. I've gotta get me some new muses.

**(1)** The star of death. I forget if that's the real name or not, but translating "Shin no Hoshi" roughly means star of death anyway, so it's all good. Sorta. Legend says that it's a star shadowing a star in the Big Dipper. If you see it, your death is imminent, and there's no way for you to avoid it. So legend says. I doubt it's true, but I'm still never looking at the Big Dipper again! X3 Erm… imminent can be next day, right? BTW, I'm starting an AnsemRiku C2, so if you wanna be a staff member, leave a review on my fic "Misbegotten." M'kay?


	12. Chapter 12

Whaa! Only two chapters left counting this one! Three counting the side story I may or may not do. Wow. There's a Queen song ahead! Anyone out there Queen fans? A reviewer said the idea of Ansem making out with someone was creepy. How about Ansem making out with Sephiroth? Or Riku? Both of which happen to be two fave pairings of mine, even if AnsemRiku pairings are a little creepy in and of themselves. But oh well. I especially like Ansem/Sephiroth pairings. SEKUSHIIII! (Dies of Bishounen-overload)

ooo

-Love of my life- you've hurt me/ You've broken my heart and now you leave me/ Love of my life can't you see/ Bring it back, bring it back/ Don't take it away from me, because you don't know/ What it means to me- 

I don't know how long I stayed in my room. I remained there, thinking solely of Ansem.

Tsubasa tried repeatedly to comfort me, and I always pushed him away. Then I could not bear being on my bed or in my room, where Ansem and I had once slept.

-Love of my life don't leave me/ You've taken my love you now desert me/ Love of my life can't you see/ Bring it back, bring it back/ Don't take it away from me because you don't know-/ What it means to me-

I wandered the castle aimlessly, not daring to go back to the room, not even to retrieve Ansem's body. Like a specter, I roamed the castle at will. I never stayed put, rambling through the halls if only for something to do. Something to keep me sane.

Then I somehow found my way to the Rising Falls. I stood on a rock, staring out at the horizon. I remained there for many days and nights. At some point a traveler came to the world. She looked an awful lot like Nensu, but her eyes were different, and she possessed dragonfly wings. I chased her away.

-You won't remember/ When this is blown over/ and everything's all by the way/ When I grow older/ I will be there at your side to remind you/ How I still love you… still love you-

Consumed by grief, there were times I considered taking my own life. But I never did. It was like that book. How did it go…? "I lived like one who wanted to die, but lacked the courage to do it himself." Or something like that.

I thought of Ansem, and all the time we had spent together. When we first met, when he showed me Hollow bastion, when the Organization attacked, our strange escape from the Organization. When we kissed. And… when he died.

-Back- hurry back/ Please bring it back home to me/ Because you don't know what it means to me/ Love of my life/ Love of my life…-

Finally, I went back to the Falls, where I howled out my grief to the setting sun, and cried until I could cry no more.

A/N: O.O Mein Gott!

Song: "Love of My Life," by Queen. I was going to use "Ghost of You" by Good Charlotte, but I changed my mind and went with the big-hair boys. I have this thing for music from the 60's to early 80's. Besides, "Ghost of You" was too long and the verses were too difficult to figure out. The quote Lokii used was from "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice, and I think a word or two might have gotten changed when I put it in, so I don't know how exact it is….


	13. Chapter 13

Oh my god… it's the last chapter. Woow… This is the first time I've ever finished a fic. Geez… cheese and rice (sounds like Jesus Christ)… And now, I return to my specialty, third person. I was gonna do those letters again, but they took too much thought. And I'm better with third person anyway. At some point, I might be posting an alternate version (so to speak) of this. I think it'll be a oneshot.

ooo

Lokii fell silent. Fenrir stared open-mouthed at her, her pen in her hand. She hadn't written anything for the last hour or so, too engrossed in Lokii's tale.

"I still miss Ansem. I always will. Even a year later, I still grieve. He was everything to me," Lokii said softly. If Fenrir hadn't been part jackal demon, she never would have heard her. "I wish that he had not died like that… damn Sephiroth…. Damn him to hell!" Lokii shouted fiercely.

Fenrir was astounded by the woman's tale, but even more so at Sephiroth's part in it. She had always regarded Sephiroth as a friend. Obnoxiously aloof sometimes, but she had never thought he would ever do something like that. She resolved to punch Sephiroth when next she saw him.

Lokii sighed, and left the room. Fenrir stood, as if to follow her, then sat back down, and wrote down what she had left to write. As she got to Ansem's death, Fenrir paused. She realized that Lokii had done something truly strong. She had relived the most painful moments of her life, and all for the sake of Fenrir's research. Fenrir doubted that she herself would ever be able to do such a thing.

Fenrir felt disgusted with herself, as though she had pried mercilessly. Which she hadn't, of course. Lokii had wanted the tale told, hadn't she? And yet…. What was to be gained from writing this down?

Then it hit her. It would be an insult to Ansem's and Lokii's memories not to. And by recording it, it would prove invaluable to anyone studying the darkness as she was. But was that really a good reason? Was it really worth Lokii's pain?

Fenrir finished her task, and went to look out her window. Night had fallen, and the storm had abated. Fenrir put away her writings, and headed outside.

Once outside, Fenrir spread massive black dragon wings, nearly forty or fifty feet, and flew all around the castle. She tried to find the room Lokii had spoken of, and failed. She flew to the Rising Falls, and landed carefully on the slippery stones. There she remained until morning.

Drenched by the spray, Fenrir spread her wings again as the sun rose, drying them in the early morning light. Then she flapped them a few times, and rose into the air. She hovered for a moment, tempted to fly out over the tops of the falls and see where they would take her. Then she turned and flew back to the castle.

As she landed, she noticed the massive doors at the entrance were open. She frowned, and went in. The one she saw standing in front of the fountain took her breath away.

It was Ansem.

He was alive and well, looking none the worse for what had happened to him, if maybe a bit haggard. His clothes were torn and bloodstained, and he hadn't seemed to notice Fenrir. Fenrir's long jackal ears fell back against her head, and she backed up slowly, through the doors, hoping he wouldn't hear her. Once outside, Fenrir took off, flying as fast as she could.

Lokii was sitting on a ledge near one of the lift crystals. Fenrir landed clumsily behind her, too excited to land properly.

"Lokii!" she shouted. Lokii turned to her.

"What? What is it?" she said.

"Come on!" Fenrir cried, taking to the air again. Looking quite confused, Lokii also took off, flying alongside Fenrir.

"What the hell is your problem!" Lokii demanded. But Fenrir only shook her head, and flew faster. Lokii was hard pressed to keep up. Fenrir landed outside the entrance, and stood there. Her jackal's tail was lashing. She motioned for Lokii to go in ahead of her.

Glaring at the half jackal, half dragon girl, Lokii entered the main room, and gasped. Her heart began to pound.

"An…sem?" she said weakly. "Ansem!_ Ansem!_" she shouted. He turned, and saw her. Lokii raced forward and leapt into his arms. "You're alive!" she said, burying her face in his chest. He held her tightly.

"I'll never let you go again," Ansem whispered. Then he kissed her. They remained that way for some time. Fenrir stuck her head in, and saw them. She stuck out her tongue in distaste, and retreated.

"Ansem… I thought you were…" Lokii murmured. "I thought… I thought…"

"I don't know what happened," Ansem said softly. "I know that I died, but I still… I don't know how. All I know was that someone very dear to me was calling, begging me to return. Someone I couldn't bear to see upset in any way."

"It doesn't matter," Lokii replied. "You're here, I'm here, and that's all that really matters. I love you, Ansem."

"I love you too. Love you forever."

"Love you always."

-Owari-

Well, then, readers. Here we are at the end of the fic. I hope you liked this. I rather had fun writing it, which is surprising, since normally I dislike romance. Oh well. There might be a sequel, but I'm not sure yet. Keep an eye out for it! It won't be a romance, tho', if I can help it. Maybe mystery, or Sci-fi, or something…. Danke to everyone who reviewed! And now, I bid you adieu! Lebewohl, mein lesers! (Bows)


	14. Side Story Thing

Look, I wrote it anyway! I got bored, and decided to write it. It's all AU and stuff. And yay! I get to use humour! XD Of course, it's sort of subtle humour, not like the stuff in my fic "Panic!" which sort of jumps out at you. Your sense of humour has to sort of be like mine to find it all. Uh…

ooo

-Ansem and the Dragon Lady-

In a faraway world with a very mountainous geography, called Yama ga Oi, there lived a prince named Ansem. He had curious orange eyes, and long hair the color of the silver his people mined in the mountains. His skin was tanned from all the time he had spent outside, trying to escape… them. All the girls in the kingdom, common or noble, desired the prince's hand in marriage, but none of them met with Ansem's expectations. He therefore went to great lengths to avoid them.

"They are all too feather-brained, Mother!" he complained one night. "None of them could carry on a decent conversation to save their lives! It's always clothes, and fashion, and 'Oh, did you see the duke's new mistress?' with them!"

His mother shook her head. "Don't worry, Ansem. Someday you'll find your someone."

Ansem made a wry face.

His father said much the same thing, blustering on about "True love" and "Happiness" and "Look at your mother and me!" and "Where the hell are my damn golfclubs!"

Again, Ansem made a wry face. He resigned himself to the fact that he would never be married, and that was that.

Ansem's best (and so far ONLY) friend was an enormous silver dragon named Sephiroth. Often, Ansem would go to Sephiroth's cave, and the two of them would chat about whatever for hours. Ansem frequently complained about the maidens of the kingdom.

"And they always get this glazed look in their eyes when they see me!" Ansem had said once. "Why is that?"

Sephiroth merely shrugged his scaly shoulders. "Dunno, mate. D'you want me t' eat a few of 'em?"

"No, they'd probably give you indigestion. Best not to."

"Yer fun'ral, mate. Suit yerself."

Sometimes Sephiroth would turn himself into a young man with long silver hair, and he and Ansem would go to the local taverns. On these occasions Ansem could enjoy some obscurity, for the girls were too busy mooning over Sephiroth and his cold blue eyes. Sephiroth always politely rejected them. Ansem usually stumbled out dead drunk.

Ansem frequently spent long hours in the mountains to avoid the presence of the maidens. On one such walk, he was exploring a little-known region behind the castle. Well, little-known to everyone but him. Then he saw her.

She was leaning against a rock, a book open in her lap. The strong mountain winds were blowing her jet-black hair around. Her skin seemed exceptionally pale, and she had an intense look about her. Ansem observed with some surprise that her book was a strange poem called "Inferno." This shocked him somewhat. He didn't think any of the maidens were intelligent enough to even consider that poem.

_She's so pretty…_ Ansem thought. Then he shook his head. _She's probably just as stupid as the rest. She's probably only enjoying the illustrations, as eerie as they are._

"Hey!" he called out.

The woman looked up, startled. Ansem noted her eyes were two different colors, blue and brown. She leapt up and raced off up the mountain. Ansem gave chase. She bounded among the rocks with the ease of a billy goat. Ansem had trouble keeping up. Then they came to a ledge. The woman jumped over it. Ansem raced to the edge just in time to see her spread large wings and fly away.

_Was she a dragon?_ Ansem thought.

The next day, Ansem went to see Sephiroth. The dragon listened patiently to Ansem's tale.

"She could be a dragon," Sephiroth said. "There're loads of 'em living in these mountains. I'm not th' only one."

"But you know what was weird?" Ansem mused.

Sephiroth gave a dragonish snicker. "She didn't swoon th' minute she saw ya?"

Ansem glared at him. "No, that's not it. She just didn't seem to know who I was. I thought everyone knows who I am."

Sephiroth gave Ansem one of his condescending looks he reserved special for humans. "Typ'cal royal a'itude. Yew always 'spect ev'ryone knows ya. Seems roight pig'eaded ter me."

Ansem didn't speak to the dragon for the rest of the day.

**-End of Part one. Intermission-****  
(Cue the Beethoven music!)****  
Fenrir: Guten Tag! Wilkommen! Welcome to the Intermission! And here to do this with me is Sephiroth, Ansem, and our special guest star, DiZ!****  
Sephiroth: Why am I a silver dragon with a Cockney accent? Why do I even have an accent?****  
Fenrir: Rush 2112 does strange things to my muses. Deal. Anyway, I'm having fun writing this side story! XD****  
Ansem: We know. ****  
DiZ: You always have fun doing stupid things to us.****  
Fenrir: Bite me. XP (Blows Raspberry) And I don't care if Ansem and DiZ are one and the same, I'm still using them as separate characters!****  
DiZ: We know you don't care. You've already fucked up the KH storyline real bad. Who cares if you mutilate it further?****  
Fenrir: Screw you. XP****  
-End of Intermission. Part two-**

The next day, Ansem was awake early as usual when he heard a booming at the castle doors. Bemused, he opened them to find Sephiroth standing outside in human form.

"There yew are! 'Bout bloody toime!" Sephiroth cried. He seized Ansem's arm and dragged him out.

"Wha—Sephiroth, what the hell do you want!" Ansem demanded as Sephiroth dragged him down to the village.

"'Urry up, already! There's someone Oi want ya ter meet!"

They hurried down to the village, and Sephiroth pulled Ansem towards the tavern.

"Bit early for drinking, don't you think?" Ansem said.

"Not what we're 'ere for, mate," Sephiroth replied, scanning the empty room. "Ah!" Sephiroth led Ansem to a table in the corner. Ansem tried not to stare too much at the occupant. Which he was finding difficult. Not much of the man himself was visible, except his eye and his mouth.

"You're Ansem, I presume?" the man said.

"Yes, I am," Ansem replied. The man stood.

"My name is DiZ. I am the dragon king," he said.

"You're the dragon king?"

"Yes. Sephiroth has told me about your encounter in the mountains. I believe you have encountered a rogue dragon by the name of Lokii Iotunheim," DiZ said. "If you see her again, approach with caution. She is very dangerous. You are lucky you caught her unawares. If you hadn't, she could have very easily torn you limb from limb."

Ansem suppressed a shudder. "If she is so dangerous, why do you allow her to roam freely?" he asked.

DiZ shrugged. "I tried locking her up once. She broke down the wall. That was, incidentally, the last time I saw her. I was just about to send my finest trackers after her to bring her back."

Sephiroth groaned. "Oh no. Not that lot. Yew know they'll kill 'er," he moaned.

DiZ shook his head. "I know," he said evenly. "But she killed many of us, and we have to do something."

"Anything I can do?" Ansem asked.

DiZ looked at him strangely. "Maybe you can," he mused. "First, meet with my trackers. Then I'll let you know what you can do."

The next day, Ansem went up to Sephiroth's cave, and found the silver dragon hunched in the corner, looking surly. Several other dragons lounged about.

"Who're they?" Ansem asked.

"The dragon king's trackers," Sephiroth said with distaste. A red dragon approached them. He had numerous, deadly looking spines around his head.

"You shouldn't speak of us with such distaste, you fool," he snarled. "After all, it would be so easy to kill you. And the king wouldn't care, because you're just an idiot living outside his control."

"Leave it, Axel," snapped a gold dragon with a busted horn. "He's not worth it."

Sephiroth bristled and rose. "Yew keep yer pointy snout outta this, Vexen," he snarled.

"I'm quaking," the gold dragon sneered. Sephiroth started growling, and Ansem was certain there would have been a fight had a brown dragon not stepped in.

"Down, you three," he snarled, wisps of flame issuing from his mouth. Axel had also started growling. Reluctantly, Vexen and Axel sat back down, but Sephiroth remained standing.

"Sephiroth, quit it," Ansem snapped. Sephiroth glanced at him, and ceased his growling, though his tail lashed, scoring deep gouges in the rock.

"Marluxia, why'd you have to stop them? It would have been interesting," said a dragon with a curious bronze color to her scales and two long horns.

"Because there would have been dire consequences on our side, Larxene," answered a small silver dragon with a strange luster to his scales.

"You're such a brown-noser, Zexion," the bronze dragon said.

"No, I'd just like to keep my hide intact," the silver one responded acidly.

"Sephiroth, what the hell is going on?" Ansem asked as the other dragons started arguing.

"Th' dragon king sent 'em 'ere this mornin'. They're ter start huntin' fer Lokii," Sephiroth said. "Can we get goin'?" he shouted over the trackers' arguing.

They stopped arguing abruptly. "Yeah, sure, alright," they all said.

**-End of Part Two. Intermission. A short one-****  
(Cue the Beatles music!)****  
Fenrir: (Laughs) The Organization got turned into quarrelsome dragon trackers! And DiZ is the dragon king! XD He's too hard to describe! XP Damn you, Tetsuya Nomura!****  
-End of Intermission. Part Three-**

Ansem, Sephiroth, and the dragon trackers were crouched behind a rock, waiting for Lokii to show. Sephiroth and the trackers were each in human form. A book sat alone on a ledge below.

"So… what are we doing? Why don't we try to find her ourselves?" Ansem whispered.

"We're going to catch her when she goes for that book. It's a copy of a Dante poem. She can't resist Dante's poems. When she goes by, she'll see it, swoop down, and then we'll throw this net over her," Axel explained, hefting a heavy net.

"We aren't tracking her because she'd know we were there before we could get anywhere close to her," Larxene said.

"'Ere she comes!" Sephiroth said urgently. The others ducked down as they heard someone touch down lightly on the rock. Ansem cautiously peered over the top of the rock at her. Lokii was picking up the book and flipping through.

Axel pulled Ansem back down and threw the net. Lokii looked up just as it fell down. She released a fireball from her palm and flew away, still clutching the book. Axel swore as the charred remains of the net floated to the ground.

They tried unsuccessfully over the next several days to capture the elusive Lokii. One of their more extravagant plots involved a Behemoth Heartless, some honey, and several dozen salamanders. Ansem had not been present at that one.

"They say she'll survive," Sephiroth said, after telling him the gist of the plan, but not exactly what had happened.

"Should I feel sorry for Lokii?" Ansem asked.

"'Oo's talkin' 'bout Lokii? Oi was talkin' 'bout th' Behemoth."

Ansem blanched.

After the failure of a plan using electricity, fire, ice, and some depraved walruses that resulted in the injury of all the trackers (Axel's, Larxene's, and Vexen's spells backfired and Zexion and Marluxia suffered bruised ribs from laughing so hard), they gave up and returned to the dragon kingdom. Ansem and Sephiroth were the only ones left to continue the hunt.

They subscribed to the theory of "The simpler solution is the best", and they resorted to things like tripwires, spring-loaded nets, and the like. However, they failed also.

Summer turned to fall, and fall to winter. Sephiroth and Ansem were growing desperate, as was DiZ.

"If we don't catch her soon…" he was frequently heard to mutter.

One snowy day, Ansem had been writing down ideas. When he ended up writing "Catch her in a box propped up on sticks", he threw down his pencil in frustration. He stared out his window at the falling snow. He realized that, once again, his thoughts had been drifting towards Lokii. That had been happening a lot since the day he'd first seen her.

"Dammit. I give up. I'm out of ideas anyway," he muttered to himself as he pulled on a coat and boots. He headed out behind the castle, to the mountains where he had first encountered Lokii.

Once again, he saw her reading a Dante poem. Ansem recognized it as the one the trackers had baited her with. Her wings were folded in such a way that they protected the book from the snow. Ansem shook his head.

"Hey you!" he called. She looked up, startled, but didn't run this time. She surveyed him with her odd eyes.

"What do you want? Are you here to capture me?" Lokii asked. "Like those other fools?"

Ansem shook his head. "No, not today. I just want to ask you something."

"Ask away. I'm not going anywhere. For the moment, at least."

"Why did you run the first time?"

Lokii shrugged. "I thought you were a bounty hunter, hired by DiZ. Plain and simple."

"Are you really a rogue?"

"Yep."

"How many did you kill?"

"Do you really need to know?"

As they talked, Ansem had been trying to measure Lokii's intelligence. Her speech hinted at an intellect nearly level with his own. After a while, Ansem's questions drifted away from trying to hunt her down, and turned to such things as Dante's poems.

"I rather like the 'Inferno', especially the bit with the popes having their heads in the holes," Ansem said, laughing.

"Yeah, that's a good one!" Lokii said enthusiastically. "I like the sign on the gateway to Hell. 'Abandon every hope, who enter here.' "

A low growling noise interrupted them. Ansem turned to see an immense wild boar. Its red eyes were aflame, and its ribs were visible through its leathery skin. It had clearly been driven mad by lack of food. It snorted, and roared at them.

"Oh shit!" Ansem cried as he and Lokii prepared to run. The boar squealed at them, and the duo took off. They raced over the snow-covered passes, trying to avoid the mad animal. Finally they lost the beast amongst the maze of rocks. Ansem skidded to a halt, stopping shy of an edge. Lokii was not so lucky. Her foot slipped as she was jumping off a rock just behind Ansem. She skidded along the narrow ledge and shot off, unable to open her wings, which had been broken when she landed on the rock. Ansem lunged forth, and caught her hand.

"Hang on!" he yelled. He started slip in the wet snow.

"Let go! Or you'll fall too!" Lokii said.

"No! You can't fly, you can't save yourself!" Ansem said fiercely. "I won't let you go!" Brave words indeed, but Ansem was close to falling himself. He had to do something. But he couldn't think. All he could think of was "Don't let her fall. Don't let her fall. Don't let her fall."

Desperate, Ansem grabbed Lokii's arm with his other hand, and pulled. His desperate idea worked. Lokii shot forward, having been trying to get herself up with her feet. The two momentums caused her to fly forward faster than either of them had bargained. Lokii flew forward like a cork out of a bottle, landing on top of Ansem.

They stared at each other for a moment. Lokii blinked a few times.

"Uh…"

"Um…"

"Oh, what the hell!"

Ansem kissed Lokii then. At first Lokii was surprised, then she returned the kiss. Ansem fully realized then what had been bothering him since he had met her. He loved Lokii, and it seemed she felt the same. _That's good, _Ansem thought.

As Lokii pulled away, Ansem distinctly heard a very familiar snicker. Lokii heard it too.

"Oi! Yew tew gonna be'ave, or do Oi 'ave ter tell yer folks?" The duo looked up at the rocks. Sephiroth was sitting on one, in human form, laughing hard. Lokii and Ansem stood up.

"Would you like to kill him, or shall I?"

"You may."

"With pleasure."

Sephiroth stopped laughing immediately.

"'Ey! Oi wasn't serious, mate! 'Pon moi honor!" he cried nervously.

"Sure, Sephiroth. Right," Ansem said, cracking his knuckles. Sephiroth shot away like an arrow, turning into his dragon form and flying away. Ansem laughed, and turned back to Lokii.

"So… how'll we explain this to DiZ?" he asked.

"I don't think he'll mind."

-end-

Fenrir: And there we go, the real end of "Locked Hearts"! I swear, this is the real end! Can boars growl? Oh well! Now excuse me as I switch to the yaoi side of the Kingdom Hearts fandom! XD

(Ansem and DiZ are laughing at Sephiroth)

DiZ: You sounded like a mole from the Redwall series!

Ansem: XD You sounded so stupid!

Sephiroth: Shut up! (Chases them)

Fenrir: (Shrugging) Oh dear. Auf wiedersehen. I have to deal with these idiots. (Running over) Hey you morons! Quit it! Sephiroth, DOWN! Shit. I seriously didn't want to do this, but… OSUWARI!

(The three quarrelers fall down)

DiZ, Ansem, Sephiroth: What the hell?


	15. Explanations Given

Guten Tag! It's Fenrir again! Wow, it's been a while since I updated this one, ne? Oh well. And now, in the form of a magazine interview thingy, I shall do a bit of explanation for anyone who was confused by the admittedly twisty-turny plotline of "Locked Hearts!"

-

The interviewer shuffled his notes irritably. His target, a somewhat crazy author by the name of Fenrir Hirano, was due for an interview, but she was late. He reflected idly on why she might be late… A resounding crash jerked him from his thoughts.

"Whoops! Sorry, very sorry! I hope that wasn't expensive!"

Mildly confused, the interviewer stood and tried to see into the hall, but was unable to discern what the hell was going on. A few minutes later, a girl with short silver hair and feathery silver wings came stumbling into the room. She shook her left foot, dislodging a bucket. It clattered and clanked out the door.

"This the right room?" she asked, her gray-blue and yellow eyes flicking to the interviewer.

"Er… are you Fenrir Hirano?" he replied.

"Yep!" she said, flopping down in the chair opposite him.

"You don't look like I expected."

"That's cuz the character of mine with the same name isn't me."

"Ah. Okay, shall we move on?"

The interviewer switched on a digital tape recorder, and shuffled his notes.

"So, Hirano-san, what can you tell us about the character Lokii?" he asked.

"Well… I forgot what that fic was inspired by… oh yeah! Frankenstein! No real connections anywhere, it just was. Anyway, Lokii. She wasn't based on much of anything that I know of, and she's not as young as some readers might think. I never really decided exactly how old she is, but I think she's probably in her… early twenties? I dunno. That said, I don't know why she hung out with Kairi so much either…." She scratched the tip of her nose.

"How exactly did she fall in love with Ansem?"

"I thought I explained that pretty thoroughly," Fenrir said irritably. "Oh well. Well, Kairi told her about him, and it sort of… grew from there."

"Some readers have been wondering about part of the first chapter, specifically the first conversation between Lokii and Ansem. How did that come about?"

Fenrir appeared to think for a moment. "I think what I had in mind was this: Ansem had been observing Lokii for a while. He and Sephiroth had already come up with their plan thingy, and he was searching for someone to use. He picked Lokii, watched her for a while, and eventually contacted her. That whole thing about him wanting her too… that was so Lokii would surrender herself to him more completely. I think…."

"In the beginning Author's Notes, you stated that there was implied AnsemxKairi. What the hell was that all about?"

"Eheh… the way Kairi described Ansem made me think, 'What the hell did I just do?'"

"Ah. Anyway, what was Ansem and Sephiroth's little scheme thing?"

"Hell, who knows? I sure don't. It's not really all that important, you know? They had a plot that got foiled. What more would you need to know?"

"Some readers are probably really confused."

"I think it's just you, dude. If anyone was really confused, they would have told me in a review."

"Hmph, well… was this born of any fancies you yourself have of Ansem?"

"Uh… next question."

"Was the plotting between Ansem and Sephiroth a hint at things to come regarding your AnsemSephiroth fic "Noisy Ghosts," which also contains AxelZexion and SoraRiku?"

"No, not really. At least, it's not supposed to be…"

"Was there anything significant in the side story?"

"No. I was just bored and thinking about dragon lore."

"Why the roles in that story?"

"DiZ ended up as the dragon king just because, and the Organization ended up as quarrelsome trackers because they were a group of singularly odd individuals who never seem to agree on anything and resort to needlessly complex plots."

"What happened in the plot involving the salamanders, Behemoth Heartless, and the honey?"

"Er… no comment…"

"How about the other plot, the one with the depraved walruses?"

"Uh… next question?"

"What exactly happened to the city in the volcano?"

"Well, duh! Exactly what I said. They lived in a volcano that went boom. End of story."

"What language is Eien no Yoru, and what does it mean?"

"Japanese, and it means 'Eternal Night.' And before you ask, the world was called that when it was declared a dead planet."

"What happened to Sam and her crew?"

"I never decided. Did I have to?"

"No, I guess not. Why did Masamune Sylverwulf wish to be portrayed as a ship's surgeon with a German accent?"

"Beats the hell out of me, dude."

"Well, I think that's all the questions I have…. Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions," the interviewer said as he stood. Fenrir stood, and bowed to him. She turned and left, tripping on the bucket. The interviewer sighed and shook his head as it crashed down the hall, followed by shouts from Fenrir.

-

Well, I hope that answers any questions you reader lot may have! Sayonara for real this time!


End file.
